Summary: Radiotherapy 2
•
Pronounced differences in types
of radiation-induced 2
nd
cancers exist
between children, young adults and elderly patients treated with
radiotherapy
•
Types of 2
nd
cancers after radiotherapy are
different
from those induced
by low-dose total body irradiation,
e.g.
in the A-bomb survivors
•
Different biological mechanisms
can lead to 2
nd
cancers after
radiotherapy, depending on dose distribution and age of the irradiated
patient. Dose risk relationships, therefore, can be complex
•
Risk
of radiotherapy-induced 2
nd
cancers should
not
be estimated
using the effective dose method proposed by ICRP
for radiation protection purposes