Dose-rate effects and the repair of radiation damage

The extent of dose-sparing that occurs in a variety of cell lines and in vivo cell systems as a result of a reduction in dose-rate is reviewed. The emphasis is on the range from around 200 cGy/min down to 5 cGy/min, in which the predominant reason for dose-sparing is the repair of radiation damage. Dose-rate dependence is considered in relation to the Lethal-Potentially Lethal model of cell inactivation, which satisfactorily fits 4 sets of data that the authors have tested; estimates of half-time for repair varied from 0.07 to 1.4 h. The model shows that in spite of these short half-times, repair will often continue to influence response down to dose-rates below 5 cGy/min. The steepness of the dose-rate dependence varies widely among in vitro cell lines and among mouse normal tissues. Uncertainties about the rate of reoxygenation preclude similar considerations in experimental tumours in vivo. (Auth.)