Human Exposure to Ionising Radiation for Clinical and Research Purposes

In August 2014, the NCS installed a new subcommittee to collect and concisely summarise the existing literature on radiation risks for patients and volunteers participating in clinical research. The aim of the report is threefold:

1. To summarise threshold radiation doses regarding the risk of tissue and organ reactions and to approximate stochastic effects in humans exposed to ionising radiation.

2. To provide guidelines for weighing risks associated with ionising radiation used in diagnostic and interventional procedures in patients or volunteers participating in scientific medical research against potential societal benefits.

3. To serve as input for additional educational demands on ionising radiation for medical doctors, depending on radiation doses administered as part of their clinical work.

Obviously, being a summary of the existing literature on the effects of ionising radiation, the report may also be used for educational purposes.

In March 2020, the Dutch Central Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (ccmo.nl or https://english.ccmo.nl/) requested a further clarification of risk categories. Therefore, minor revisions were made in Table 3 and the corresponding clarifying text of section 4.2.

https://doi.org/10.25030/ncs-026