Radiation Effects

[gu9@ornl.gov (Robert J. Gunter)]

To all,

I was watching McNeil Leher news last night and a cancer researcher was
discussing how a cell becomes cancerous.  Basically he said that some genes
may indicate a persons susceptability to cancer but cancer will form after a
series of DNA replication mistakes alters the gene.  He went on to say that
there are a number of environmental (man-made and natural) factors that lead
to these mistakes that are commonly occuring at some given rate.  Cancer
develops when either the repair or cell rejection system in the body could
not keep up or identify these cancerous cells at a rate sufficient to stop
the growth.

My question is, what is the normal rate of replication mistakes or gene
disruptions, and how does this compare to those induced by radiation.  What
% of the natural rate would X rem/yr (cSv/yr) cause? 

I am relying on my memory for the details above, please correct if the
statement of the problem is inaccurate.

Yours,

Rob Gunter
Robert J. Gunter
Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
P.O. Box 2008 
Bldg: 105MIT Mail Stop 6494
Oak Ridge, TN 37871-6494
PH:  (615) 576-6317
FAX: (615) 576-8593
email: gunterrj@ornl.gov