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Background radiation is from naturally radioactive materials and cosmic radiation from space. [5] People are exposed to this radiation from the environment continuously, with an annual dose of about 3 mSv. [5] Radon gas is a radioactive chemical element that is the largest source of background radiation, about 2mSv per year. [17]
The consequences of overdiagnosis and overtreatment resulting from cancer screening can lead to a decline in quality of life, due to the adverse effects of unnecessary medication and hospitalization. [10] [12] [13] The accuracy of a cancer screening test relies on its sensitivity, and low sensitivity screening tests can overlook cancers. [10]
Radiation hormesis is the conjecture that a low level of ionizing radiation (i.e., near the level of Earth's natural background radiation) helps "immunize" cells against DNA damage from other causes (such as free radicals or larger doses of ionizing radiation), and decreases the risk of cancer. The theory proposes that such low levels activate ...
Acute radiation syndrome (ARS), also known as radiation sickness or radiation poisoning, is a collection of health effects that are caused by being exposed to high amounts of ionizing radiation in a short period of time. [1] Symptoms can start within an hour of exposure, and can last for several months.
The U.S. BEIR report on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation states that "the collective dose equivalent resulting from the radioactivity released in the Three Mile Island accident was so low that the estimated number of excess cancer cases to be expected, if any were to occur, would be negligible and undetectable."
The plutonium experiments were not isolated events. [2] During this time, cancer researchers were attempting to discover whether certain radioactive elements might be useful to treat cancer. [2] Recent studies on radium, polonium, and uranium proved foundational to the study of Pu toxicity. For example, polonium (another alpha emitter) research ...
Radiation exposure can be managed by a combination of these factors: Time: Reducing the time of an exposure reduces the effective dose proportionally. An example of reducing radiation doses by reducing the time of exposures might be improving operator training to reduce the time they take to handle a radioactive source.
In the example of breast cancer screening, women overdiagnosed with breast cancer might receive radiotherapy, which increases mortality due to lung cancer and heart disease. [36] The problem is those deaths are often classified as other causes and might even be larger than the number of breast cancer deaths avoided by screening.