title: The biological effects of radiation.
abstract: Nuclear medicine offers many diagnostic possibilities for which there are no adequate alternatives. The growing contribution of nuclear procedures to diagnostic medicine, however, has an additional effect: the radiation on normal tissues. Accurate estimations of the radiation dose and the related risks is required to weigh the advantages against the disadvantages due to a certain nuclear procedure in a specific situation. In this review the aspects of dose calculation (dosimetry) and dose-effect relation are discussed. Also the current opinion about dose limits will be dealt with. Particularly specialists for internal diseases should be aware of these considerations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Gelderse Vallei, Bennekom, Netherlands.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Bruin
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van de Wiel