Contribution to the problem of radiation risk in medical radiology

A new assessment of present-day exposure and accepted limits appears timely, in view of increasing man-made radiation exposure, particularly with the extension of radiodiagnostics. The literature is reviewed. Genetic risks relative to carcinogenesis and leukaemia induction are now in the foreground of discussions. In modern radiology somatic damage is unlikely in diagnostics and in the treatment of benign diseases, whereas it must be accepted in the radiotherapy of malignant tumours. So far, genetic changes have not been demonstrable below 10 rem. In occupational radiation exposure damage is extremely unlikely to occur; the accumulation of such a dose by the patient should, nevertheless, be avoided within the reproductive period. In radiodiagnostics the main source of risk, the gonad dose, can be often decreased by a factor of 100; at present, however, the possibilities available are not fully utilized. Basic scientific and technical resources must be used, in order to ensure adequate radiation protection in clinical radiology, and possibly even to reverse the increasing genetic risk to the population without loss of relevant diagnostic information or therapeutic effects