title: What can we say about the dose-effect relationship at very low dose?
abstract: This paper uses a few sets of low-dose experimental radiobiological data to examine just what these data sets say with respect to the shape of the dose-effect relationship at very low doses. The examination of the data leads to the conclusion that neither experimental nor epidemiological data will ever be statistically strong enough to resolve the debate unambiguously. An alternative approach to the low-dose problem is proposed based on gaining a deeper understanding of both the mechanism of action of radiation and the cellular changes which lead to malignancy. Research spending needs to be directed to more basic investigations of radiation action and to ways by which the information from these studies can be applied to the interpretation of epidemiological data.
authors.affiliation: Cowan Head, Kendal, Cumbria, UK.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chadwick
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Leenhouts
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000528:radiation effects; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation / Q000528:radiation effects; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D011829:Radiation Dosage