title: Biophysical considerations on low dose radiation risk.
abstract: Considerations about the action of low radiation doses and the applicability of the collective dose concept have to take into account that radiation interaction and the formation of initial lesions are discrete processes. With increasing LET the number of hit cells per unit dose is reduced while the energy deposited in the nuclei of affected cells increases. A cell without initial radiation induced lesions cannot be mutated; an organ without a mutant cell cannot develop a tumour. This paper considers this problem in a quantitative manner taking into account also the limited number of tumour target stem cells. Based on these considerations 'practical threshold' values of equivalent doses are proposed.
authors.affiliation: Strahlenzentrum der Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany. juergen.kiefer@strz.uni-giessen.de
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kiefer
mesh_terms: D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D018499:Linear Energy Transfer; D009154:Mutation / Q000528:radiation effects; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D012306:Risk