Carcinogenic effects of ionizing radiation (epidemiological and cytogenetic case studies)

  • Э. А. Демина R.E. Kavetsky Institute of experimental pathology, oncology and radiobiology of NAS of Ukraine Ukraine, 03022, Kyiv, Vasilkivska str., 45

Abstract

The aim of the review is the compilation of data from epidemiological and cytogenetic studies showing that ionizing radiation is one of the etiological factors of cancer. Extensive experimental data and clinical observations have shown that radiation-induced malignancies can develop in almost all organs and tissues according to their radiosensitivity. Many environmental pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, may inhibit radiation recovery processes, thereby increasing the risk of radiation cancer genesis. Since to reveal cancer within low-dose irradiation effects large-scale epidemiological studies are needed, then well-founded conjecture is to use chromosome aberrations in human peripheral blood lymphocytes as the "gold standard" of biological dosimetry and as a preclinical marker of cancer in a particular individual. Attention is drawn to the fact that the expansion of the environmental potential risk of technological nature suggests further improvement of Ukraine legislation relative to measures at protecting the rights of the individual to radiation safety.

Keywords: ionizing irradiation, cancer, epidemiology, cytogenetic effects, radiosensitivity of chromosomes.