Radiobiology 2016

Summary: Radiotherapy 2 • Pronounced differences in types of radiation-induced 2 nd cancers exist between children, young adults and elderly patients treated with radiotherapy • Types of 2 nd cancers after radiotherapy are different from those induced by low-dose total body irradiation, e.g. in the Japanese A-bomb survivors • Different biological mechanisms can lead to 2 nd cancers after radiotherapy, depending on dose distribution and age of the irradiated patient. Dose risk relationships, therefore, can be complex • Risk of radiotherapy-induced 2 nd cancers should not be estimated using the effective dose method proposed by ICRP for radiation protection purposes