RE: Optimal Radiation

[Rotman Mark <MRotman@snm.org>]

Demonstratable medical benefits of low dose/low dose rate radiation have
been seen using 150 rads (either whole or half body) given in 10 to 15
fractions over 5 weeks.  This has been done in Japan and in the US.  This
dose appears to be optimal for immune system stimulation creating an
approximate 160% improvement in function.  Interestingly enough it appears
the spleen is the organ critical to success.  

As a nuclear pharmacist by training I prefer to think of using a long acting
radiopharmaceutical, one that is naturally concentrated in the spleen.
Perhaps Fe-59 as transferrin, or as labeled red blood cells.

Way back in '92, while a Medical Visiting Fellow at the NRC, I imagine folks
suing the NRC because their regs were depriving folks of medically necessary
radiation....

Yes, the regulatory landscape will undergo a paradigm shift when hormesis is
finally accepted as the truth.



Mark Rotman
Government Relations
Society of Nuclear Medicine
703-708-9000 ext 1242
703-708-9777 FAX
mrotman@snm.org
http://www.snm.org



-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry Cohen [mailto:jjcohen@prodigy.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2000 1:59 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Re: Optimal Radiation


It is interesting that you bring this up. On reviewing the literature on
hormesis, it appears that there is a lot of evidence indicating that
low-dose radiation stimulates resistance to various disease processes
including cancer. It has been hypothesized that  the "optimal" dose level
for humans would be ~10 rem/yr. When you go much above this level, harmful
radiation effects would likely predominate. Accordingly, background
radiation levels everywhere in the world ,including Kerala, could be
considered "suboptimal"
    In a  recent informal discussion regarding these phenomena, assuming
that at some future time hormesis becomes accepted, we conjectured on
methods that might be applied to administer "supplemental radiation" to the
unfortunate people who reside in radiation deficient areas. Among the
methods considered were: whole body x-ray, radon spas, uranium mines, and
drinking tritiated water. The latter was my favorite, but I wonder if anyone
might offer a better suggestion.                      jjcohen@prodigy.net


-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Flood <bflood@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Date: Tuesday, January 25, 2000 8:09 AM
Subject: Re: Radiation Safety Travel Tips


>At 09:49 AM 1/25/2000 -0600, you wrote:
>>>Obviously, we are going about the
>>>business of radiation safety all wrong.  Rather than shielding people we
>>>could be opening spas.
>
>Can you imagine what will happen if hormesis can be proven? Mobs at the
>gates of our nuclear power plants demanding to be let in and given their
>exposure? How dare you deprive me of my rightful dose?
>
>===================================
>Bob Flood
>Dosimetry Group Leader
>Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
>(650) 926-3793
>bflood@slac.stanford.edu
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information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html