Radiophobia Harm, Its Main Cause, and a Proposed Solution

Background: We are exposed to natural ionizing radiation and other genomic stressors throughout life and radiophobia has caused much harm to society. The main basis for radiophobia is the invalid linear no-threshold (LNT) hypothesis for cancer induction, which the System of Radiological Protection (...

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Main Author: Bobby R. Scott
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-02-01
Series:Dose-Response
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/15593258251318305
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author Bobby R. Scott
author_facet Bobby R. Scott
author_sort Bobby R. Scott
collection DOAJ
description Background: We are exposed to natural ionizing radiation and other genomic stressors throughout life and radiophobia has caused much harm to society. The main basis for radiophobia is the invalid linear no-threshold (LNT) hypothesis for cancer induction, which the System of Radiological Protection (SRP) is linked to. Largely unknown to the public, evolution-associated genomic stress adaptation (gensadaptation) over many previous generations now provides protection to all lifeforms from low radiation doses. Objective: To help bring about an improved SRP not linked to the invalid LNT hypothesis for radiation-caused health detriment and to promote low-dose radiation therapy for different diseases. Methods: All-solid-cancer mortality risk dose-response relationships for A-bomb survivors were generated based on published LNT-modeling-related results. Dose-response relationships for lung cancer prevention by low-dose radiation were generated by linear interpolation based on published data from a study using > 15,000 mice. Uncertainty characterization was based on Monte Carlo calculations for binomial and Poisson distributions. New dose characterization tools were used for threshold dose-response relationships for radiation-caused cancer mortality. Results: The all-solid-cancer mortality risk for A-bomb survivors transitioned from LNT to threshold-linear when adjusted for key missing uncertainty at low doses. The prevention of lung cancer in mice by low radiation doses depends on the radiation absorbed dose and type. Conclusions: The SRP should be linked to population dose thresholds rather than the invalid LNT hypothesis and small likely harmless radiation doses could possibly be used in treating different diseases.
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spelling doaj-art-9c6ed9fee92c4e03b1258a2ef34bb2a12025-08-20T02:48:39ZengSAGE PublishingDose-Response1559-32582025-02-012310.1177/15593258251318305Radiophobia Harm, Its Main Cause, and a Proposed SolutionBobby R. ScottBackground: We are exposed to natural ionizing radiation and other genomic stressors throughout life and radiophobia has caused much harm to society. The main basis for radiophobia is the invalid linear no-threshold (LNT) hypothesis for cancer induction, which the System of Radiological Protection (SRP) is linked to. Largely unknown to the public, evolution-associated genomic stress adaptation (gensadaptation) over many previous generations now provides protection to all lifeforms from low radiation doses. Objective: To help bring about an improved SRP not linked to the invalid LNT hypothesis for radiation-caused health detriment and to promote low-dose radiation therapy for different diseases. Methods: All-solid-cancer mortality risk dose-response relationships for A-bomb survivors were generated based on published LNT-modeling-related results. Dose-response relationships for lung cancer prevention by low-dose radiation were generated by linear interpolation based on published data from a study using > 15,000 mice. Uncertainty characterization was based on Monte Carlo calculations for binomial and Poisson distributions. New dose characterization tools were used for threshold dose-response relationships for radiation-caused cancer mortality. Results: The all-solid-cancer mortality risk for A-bomb survivors transitioned from LNT to threshold-linear when adjusted for key missing uncertainty at low doses. The prevention of lung cancer in mice by low radiation doses depends on the radiation absorbed dose and type. Conclusions: The SRP should be linked to population dose thresholds rather than the invalid LNT hypothesis and small likely harmless radiation doses could possibly be used in treating different diseases.https://doi.org/10.1177/15593258251318305
spellingShingle Bobby R. Scott
Radiophobia Harm, Its Main Cause, and a Proposed Solution
Dose-Response
title Radiophobia Harm, Its Main Cause, and a Proposed Solution
title_full Radiophobia Harm, Its Main Cause, and a Proposed Solution
title_fullStr Radiophobia Harm, Its Main Cause, and a Proposed Solution
title_full_unstemmed Radiophobia Harm, Its Main Cause, and a Proposed Solution
title_short Radiophobia Harm, Its Main Cause, and a Proposed Solution
title_sort radiophobia harm its main cause and a proposed solution
url https://doi.org/10.1177/15593258251318305
work_keys_str_mv AT bobbyrscott radiophobiaharmitsmaincauseandaproposedsolution