Low Dose Radiation Epidemiology: What Can It Tell Us?

Abstract

A small workshop entitled ‘‘Low Dose Radiation Epidemiology—What Can it Tell Us?’’ was held at the North Bethesda Marriott Hotel, December 10–11, 2008. The workshop was organized and funded by the Department of Energy’s Low Dose Radiation Research Program, and the Organizing Committee consisted of a member each from DOE, EPA and NCI, plus one member from an academic institution. Participants were chosen for their acknowledged expertise and included 29 epidemiologists, four dosimetrists, and five radiation biologists. The impetus for holding the workshop was the following: There is some suggestion from research in cellular and animal systems that the biological response may differ after highand low-dose/dose-rate radiation exposure. There is no consensus, however, as to whether these differences would result in higher or lower risks of cancer or other diseases than would be predicted from the linear extrapolation defined by current epidemiological data. The workshop participants discussed the value of current human epidemiological data at lower doses and the possibilities for improving and expanding lowdose data obtained from epidemiological studies. On the first day, the selected existing epidemiological studies of low-dose/low-dose-rate exposed populations were reviewed.