![]() 5ĭespite the controversies found in the literature, the LNT model hypothesis remains a wise basis for radiation protection at low doses and low dose rates 6 and currently represents the best means for radiation protection standards. ![]() If there is no such threshold, then diagnostic x-rays are likely to induce some cancers. The weight of evidence from experimental and epidemiologic data does not suggest a threshold dose below which radiation exposure does not cause cancer. Radiation is one of the most extensively researched carcinogens, but the effects of low doses are still somewhat unclear. 3 The BEIR VII committee concludes that current scientific evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that there is a linear dose-response relationship between exposure to ionizing radiation and the development of radiation-induced solid cancers in humans. 2 Conversely, the International Commission on Radiological Protection and the National Academy of Sciences (Biological Effects of lonizing Radiation VII report) support the use of the LNT model. The French Academies consider that the LNT model for assessing carcinogenic risks induced by low doses, such as those delivered by diagnostic radiology, is not based on valid scientific data and might create anxiety among patients however, they acknowledge that the model can be practical for the organization of radiation protection. The LNT model hypothesis has competing theories: (1) the threshold model, which maintains that very small exposures to ionizing radiation are harmless and (2) the radiation hormesis model, which assumes that radiation at very small doses can be beneficial. There is an ongoing controversy among the scientific community about the acceptance of the linear no-threshold (LNT) model, which assumes that the long-term, biological damage caused by ionizing radiation (essentially the cancer risk) is directly proportional to the dose, and any increment of exposure above natural background levels will produce a linear increment of risk. T he risk of exposure to ionizing radiation is a permanent topic on the agenda of global organizations such as the International Commission on Radiological Protection (the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (the International Atomic Energy Agency (and the World Health Organization (The role of these global organizations is crucial, as they continuously evaluate and analyze the scientific literature on the effects of ionizing radiation and also publish recommendations and guidelines on how to safely use ionizing radiation.
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