Re: Radiation Effects

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@pitt.edu>]

On Fri, 1 Sep 1995, Robert J. Gunter wrote:

> 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
> 

-----There is a lot of numbers and other info on this in SCIENCE, 23 
December 1994. Start with the Editorial, page 1925, and the article that 
follows it,starting on page 1926. There are other articles in the same 
issue. See also, SCIENCE 4 November 1994, p728-730. I should acknowledge 
that Myron Polycove pointed these out to me. He is a fountain of info on 
these subjects.