A REVIEW OF SOME EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON CANCER RISK FROM LOW-DOSE RADIATION OR OTHER CARCINOGENIC AGENTS

It is extremely difficult to assess cancer risks accurately due to health effects of low-dose radiation exposure or other carcinogens based on epidemiological studies. For the detection of minute increases of the risk at low-level exposure, most of epidemiological studies lack statistical power, and they involve various complicated confounding factors. This paper reports on a literature survey of epidemiological studies published since 2000 on cancer risks associated with low-dose radiation and other carcinogens to gather major epidemiological data. Integrated risk indices were derived from those data by using, where possible, statistical models. Regarding risk assessment of low-dose radiation exposure, it is important to lower the degree of uncertainty arising from risk estimation. Risk assessment of low-dose radiation exposure could be scientific evidence when uncertainty is considered in comparing carcinogenic risks of radiation with those of other carcinogens.