Cancer as a risk of exposure to medicinal radiation

'Radiocancer' arises in a tissue or organ damaged by radiation; the ionising rays have caused somatic radiation damage but have not produced cancer. A higher risk of cancer as a sequel to constantly increasing exposure to medicinal radiation has not been demonstrated so far. The statements quoted in the paper are due in particular to faulty comparative evaluations in retrospective surveys and to inadmissible extrapolations of findings after the action of high radiation doses to expected effects with low doses. In addition to radiobiology and radiophysics, knowledge of oncology and clinical radiology must also be taken into account in future. (orig.)