Late Effects of Radiation Exposure

The invention of the X-ray and the advent of radiation therapy to treat cancer are both major contributions to the modern world’s health arsenal. However, radiation is not always used for good, and even when it is, the outcome can prove harmful. Initial effects of radiation exposure are easy to identify, but late effects are important to understand as well.

History

• The harnessing of radiation for uses therapeutic, diagnostic or preventative was a medical milestone. More than100 years ago, scientists discovered ionizing radiation and since then have been working to learn more about its benefits and detriments. As Dr. Barrie Lambert, author of “How Safe Is Safe: Radiation Controversies Explained,” points out, the ongoing research about the effects of radiation exposure has revealed new findings on appropriate levels within the last 20 years, and earlier research severely underestimated the power of radiation and its harmful properties. For example, Lambert states that in the 1920s radium was regarded as a helpful mineral that cured many minor ailments such as stomach aches. This severe misunderstanding of radium led to many deaths and high levels of radiation poisoning in consumers. Such is the nature of science that constant research and analysis is always needed.

Carcinogenicity

• Leukemia and other cancers are a well-documented late-term effect of radiation exposure. According to RadiationAnswers.org, a website maintained by the Health Physics Society, leukemia can appear as early as two years or as long as 30 years after radiation exposure. Other cancers have a minimum of 10 years before detection and a potential lifetime risk factor. The risk of contracting cancer depends on the dosage of radiation. A person with no radiation exposure has a 1 in 2.4 chance of getting cancer, and someone who is exposed to 1 rem or 100SV, the effective dose equivalent of radiation, has the same odds. When the dosage increases to 100 rem (10,000SV), the odds are 1 in 1.7 for cancer. The main variable in increased risk is the level of radiation exposure.

Genetic Effects

• A commonly held belief that exposure to radiation in the gonads can pass genetic defects onto children is far from fact. According to HealthCastle.com, a couple is more likely to not be able to conceive after radiation exposure than to have an abnormal child. The chance of radiation exposure affecting the genes of the child is very minimal. Genetic effects are a secondary concern when compared with the much larger risk of contracting cancer.