Chapter 9: Stochastic Effects and Late Tissue Reactions of Radiation in Organ Systems Flashcards
Radiation-induced damage at the cellular level may lead to measurable somatic and hereditary damage in the living organism as a whole later in life
Late effects
examples of measurable delayed biologic damage are:
- Cataracts
- Leukemia
- Genetic mutations
are the long-term results of radiation exposure
- months and years later
late effects
Cataracts are considered to be a
late tissue reaction that is nonrandom
whereas leukemia and genetic mutations are viewed as
delayed stochastic or random consequences that, if these reactions do appear, they do not do so for extended periods.
occurs months or years after radiation exposure
late tissue reactions
is a “science that deals with the incidence, distribution, and control of disease in a population.” (Travis, 1989)
Epidemiology
studies consist of observations and statistical analysis of data, such as the incidence of disease within groups of people.
Epidemiology
The incident rates at which these irradiation-related malignancies occur are determined by comparing the natural incidence of cancer occurring in a human population with the prevalence of cancer occurring in an irradiated population.
Epidemiology
The later studies include the risk of radiation-induced cancer.
Epidemiology
Risk factors are then identified for the general human population
Epidemiology
studies are of significant value to radiobiologists who use the information from these studies to formulate dose–response estimates for predicting the risk of cancer in human populations exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation.
Epidemiologic
also called tumorigenesis, is the formation of a cancer
Carcinogenesis
Carcinogenesis, also called
tumorigenesis
is the most significant late stochastic effect caused by exposure to ionizing radiation
Cancer
Cancer is the name used for a substantial group of diseases in which healthy cells have been transformed into nonstandard cells that divide uncontrollably. The process leads to an expansive growth of abnormal structures within various locations in the body and the destruction of surrounding body tissues such as bone marrow. The altered or cancer cells readily demonstrate the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body.
Carcinogenesis
is demonstrated graphically through a curve (the dose–response [DR] curve) that maps the observed effects of radiation exposure in relation to the dose of radiation received.
radiation dose–response relationship
Information obtained can be used to attempt to predict the risk of occurrence of malignancies in human populations that have been exposed to low levels of ionizing radiation
radiation dose–response relationship
The “effect” in question may be the incidence of a disease (e.g., cases of cancer per million in a population or fatalities due to cancer per million in a population), or the effect may be its degree of acuteness, such as the severity of cataracts as dose increases.
- The observed effects of radiation exposure may be the incidence of a disease, or it may be the severity of an effect
radiation dose–response relationship
The DR curve is either linear (straight line) or nonlinear (curved to some degree), and it depicts either a threshold dose or a nonthreshold dose
radiation dose–response relationship
straight line
linear
curved to some degree
nonlinear
medical term for eyes
cataracts
blood
leukemia