Cancer and Genetic Mutation

Cancer and genetic mutations are possible effects of radiation exposure.

Cancer

Ionizing radiation has sufficient energy to cause chemical changes in cells and damage them. By damaging the genetic material (DNA) contained in the body's cells, radiation can cause cancer. Cancer is produced if radiation does not kill the cell but creates an error in the DNA blueprint that contributes to eventual loss of control of cell division, and the cell begins dividing uncontrollably.

Effects of low or moderate doses of radiation may lie dormant for months or even years. For example, the minimum time period between radiation exposure and appearance of leukemia is two years. The types of effects and their probability of occurrence can depend on whether the exposure was chronic or acute.

Genetic Mutation

Radiation deposits energy in body tissue, which causes cell damage or cell death. Sometimes, there may be no noticeable effect; other times, the cell may survive but become temporarily or permanently abnormal. Additionally, an abnormal cell may become malignant.

Both large and small doses of radiation can cause cellular damage. Damage to genetic material in reproductive cells can cause genetic mutations that can be passed on to future generations. In rare instances with a large amount of radiation exposure, sickness or even death can occur in just hours or days.

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