Radiation Hormesis and Epidemiology of Carcinogenesis: ‘Never the Twain Shall Meet’

Abstract

The review considers the reasons that do not allow the use of radiation hormesis for public health and for the prevention of diseases in the population. It is noted that evidence of the hormesis effects of low doses radiation with low LET was obtained only in laboratory experiments on cells and animals, using a hypothetical-deductive method and adequate controls. Some confirmation was found in balneology (radon therapy) and in the clinic (immunostimulation in cancer patients). At the same time, in epidemiological, observational studies, which mainly involve the induction method, there are no unambiguous data on hormesis effects on the frequency of carcinogenesis. This is due to the fact that in the region of low doses (up to 0.1 Gy), in addition to linear, any forms of dose dependence are equally probable, and it is impossible to isolate the radiation effect due to the iinfluence of non-radiation factors, as well as confounders and biases. The epidemiological designs used to confirm radiation hormesis in terms of the frequency of malignant neoplasms have such significant drawbacks and limitations for small magnitudes of effects that, according to epidemiology, there is no possibility for conclusions about hormesis. The stated is, among other things, the position of UNSCEAR, ICRP, BEIR and NCRP, which in the relevant documents, however, is presented insufficiently. For many experimental researchers and clinicians (of any rank), who are not familiar with the basics of classical epidemiology and descriptive disciplines, this position remains incomprehensible and incomprehensible. It is concluded that although hormesis may exist at low doses of radiation, it will hardly be possible to prove and, moreover, to use it in epidemiology and medicine for the prevention of a healthy population. At the same time, it is necessary to actively develop the clinical use of radiation in low doses, but only as a therapeutic immunostimulation in severe pathologies.