Subcommittee on Revision NCS report 26 (Human Exposure to Ionising Radiation for Clinical and Research Purposes)

NCS Report 26 ("Human Exposure to Ionizing Radiation for Clinical and Research Purposes") is intended to provide researchers, METCs, (Medisch Ethische Commissies, 'Medical Research Ethics Committees') and the CCMO (Centrale Commissie Mensgebonden Onderzoek, 'Central Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects') with practical guidance in justifying medical research involving the exposure of volunteers to ionizing radiation. NCS Report 26 thus implements ICRP Publication 62 ("Radiological Protection in Biomedical Research"). This ICRP publication is an international standard incorporated into the licenses granted under the Kernenergiewet ('Nuclear Energy Act') to institutions conducting such research. NCS Report 26 is being revised because several areas for improvement are possible:

 

  • NCS Report 26 seems to suggest a clear quantitative relationship between the risk of stochastic effects resulting from exposure to a dose of ionizing radiation at a specific age of the exposed individual. METCs therefore attach great importance to the dose in their assessments, while the relationship between risk and dose due to exposure at different ages is very uncertain at low exposure levels. The relationship will therefore be nuanced and clarified.
  • The formal relationship between NCS Report 26 and ICRP Publication 62 is insufficiently clear. The NCS board wishes to make NCS Report 26 the national standard for medical research and to convince stakeholders and involved authorities (Ministerie van VWS, 'Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport' and the ANVS, 'Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection') of this. This requires full support within the field and these authorities.
  • The role of the medical physics expert (MPE) and radiation protection expert (RPE) has been underemphasized. It will be explored how these roles can be given more attention, preferably by referring to existing guidelines.

 

Members of this NCS subcommittee

  • Fieke Dekkers (RIVM, chair)
  • Manfred van der Vlies (GHZ,  secretary, representative from the NCS board)
  • Relinde Damveld (MST)
  • Collarette Eggels  (MUMC)
  • Adriaan Lammertsma (UMCG)
  • Frank de Lange (RadboudUMC)
  • Alie Vegter (Treant)
  • Ruud Verdaasdonk (UT)
  • Rozemarijn Vliegenthart (UMCG)
  • Wouter Vogel (NKI-AVL)