ICRP Publication 99 Low - Dose Extrapolation of Radiation Related Cancer Risk

This report considers the evidence relating to cancer risk associated with exposure to low doses of low-LET radiation, and particularly doses below current recommended limits for protection of radiation workers and the general public. It looks at the possibility of establishing a universal threshold dose below which there is no risk of radiation-related cancer. The focus is on evidence regarding linearity of dose response for all cancers considered as a group, but not necessarily individually, at low doses (the so-called linear, no-threshold (LNT) hypothesis). The report is organized by scientific discipline, and includes chapters on::
. Epidemiological studies of exposed human populations
. DNA damage, and cellular consequences of radiation-induced damage
. Experimental approaches using animal models
. Quantitative uncertainty analysis
The report concludes that while existence of a low-dose threshold does not seem unlikely for radiation-related cancers, it does not favor the existence of a universal threshold. The LNT hypothesis, combined with an uncertain dose and dose rate effectiveness factor (DDREF) for extrapolation from high doses, remains a prudent basis for radiation protection at low doses and low dose rates.