Copy of Open Letter from SARI, Scientists for Accurate Radiation Information
An Open Letter to Professional Bodies§ Regarding Low Dose Radiation Cancer Risk
An Open Letter to Professional Bodies§ Regarding Low Dose Radiation Cancer Risk
[§ Any
individual or group (private or government) that guides professionals or the
public regarding health effects of low dose radiation.]
Dear
Colleagues,
As described in the “Open Letter to Advisory Bodies
Regarding Low Dose Radiation Cancer Risk” (see below), considerable evidence
has accumulated on the invalidity of the linear no-threshold (LNT) model that
has been used for radiation safety purposes worldwide since the 1950s. The continuing reluctance of the advisory
bodies to discard the LNT model in spite of the overwhelming evidence against
it presents a dilemma to professional bodies.
We believe that the leaders of the professional bodies will be aware of
the latest literature and the current spate of publications (see some examples
in the enclosed graphs) showing evidence against the LNT model and demonstrating
the beneficial effects of low dose radiation. Such publications have not been challenged or
repudiated in any peer-reviewed publications.
If the professional bodies continue to use the LNT
model to guide their policies and actions, they are likely knowingly contributing
to harming public health, since their policies and actions perpetuate radiophobia,
which can (i) result in harmful "precautionary" actions such as have
occurred in Fukushima, (ii) prevent study of low dose radiation for treating diseases
for which presently there are no methods of prevention or control and (iii) result
in patients refusing needed diagnostic studies, studies being performed with
too low a dose and thus becoming non-diagnostic, and in physicians not ordering
the needed examinations. Radiophobia has also resulted in tremendous wastage of
public funds.
The claim of “just following recommendations” would
not be an acceptable justification for harming public health when current
literature overwhelmingly does not support the LNT model. Hence, it is
imperative that the professional bodies discard the use of the LNT model from
an evaluation of the latest evidence on their own. If the LNT model
continues to be used, then it is requisite that a defensible reason for discarding
present evidence be proffered to the professional community. If reliance
is placed on the advisory body recommendations for continuing to use the LNT
model, justification from the advisory bodies is similarly required.
Urgent action is advised.
We would be happy to discuss this matter with you or
provide additional information for your consideration. Thank you for your kind
attention to this important issue.
Sincerely,
Wade Allison, Oxford University,
UK
Allen Brodsky, Georgetown
University, USA
Mervyn D. Cohen, Indiana
University School of Medicine, USA
Jerry Cuttler, Cuttler &
Associates, Canada
Ludwik Dobrzynski, National
Center for Nuclear Research, Poland
Mohan Doss, Fox Chase Cancer
Center, USA
Vincent J. Esposito,
University of Pittsburgh, USA
Ludwig E. Feinendegen, Heinrich-Heine University, Germany
Krzysztof W. Fornalski,
Polish Nuclear Society, Poland
Leo S. Gomez, Leo S. Gomez Consulting, USA
Patricia Lewis, Free
Enterprise Radon Health Mine, USA
Jeffrey Mahn, Sandia National
Laboratories (Retired), USA
SMJ Mortazavi, Shiraz
University of Medical Sciences, Iran
Steven S. Payne, National
Nuclear Security Administration (Retired), Col USAF (Retired), USA
Charles W. Pennington, Executive
Consultant, USA
Jeffrey S. Philbin, Sandia
National Laboratories (Retired), USA
Chary Rangacharyulu,
University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Michael G Stabin, Vanderbilt University, USA
Note:
All signers of this letter are members or associate members of SARI (Scientists
for Accurate Radiation Information, http://radiationeffects.org/). The above letter represents the professional
opinions of the signers, and does not necessarily represent the views of their
affiliated institutions.
Email: sari-email@googlegroups.com
§ Any
individual or group (private or government) that guides professionals or the
public regarding health effects of low dose radiation.
Evidence against the LNT model
Figure 1. Reduced second cancers/kg of tissue at 20 cGy in a
study of 5,000 survivors of childhood
cancer who underwent radiation therapy and were followed an average of 29 y.
Figure 2. Improved survival in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
patients when radiation therapy treatments were interspersed with low dose
radiation. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19330149
Figure 3. No increase in leukemia from low dose radiation in
atomic bomb survivors. Threshold dose is near 50 rem (50 cSv). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24504164
Dear
Colleagues,
The linear no-threshold (LNT) model was adopted
worldwide for radiation safety purposes in the 1950s following the
recommendations of the various international and national advisory bodies [1]. The decision to use a linear model was based on the
observation of linear dependence of increased mutations in drosophila
melanogaster subjected to high dose
radiation, and linear dependence of increased leukemias in atomic bomb
survivors exposed to high dose
radiation. In spite of the considerable amount
of evidence available in the 1950s for the presence of a large threshold dose
both for radiation-induced mutations [2] and for leukemias [3], the concept of zero threshold dose was adopted by
the advisory bodies, violating basic scientific principles [4]. In addition, the consequent radiation safety
policies recommended by the advisory bodies to keep the radiation doses as low
as reasonably achievable prevented the study of radiation hormesis when it was
proposed in 1980 [5]. Thus, these recommendations derailed the scientific
method, since one unverified hypothesis was used to prevent the study of a
competing hypothesis, stalling scientific progress in the field, and leaving
the simple question whether the health effects of low dose radiation are beneficial or harmful unresolved even after
intense study for many decades [6].
Though there has been a considerable amount of
published evidence against the LNT model for radiation-induced cancers during
the past several decades [5, 7-9], the LNT model continues to be widely promulgated. The atomic bomb
survivor data, for example, have been used to support the LNT model of cancer
risk in the influential BEIR VII report [10] and in many peer-reviewed publications, e.g. [11]. Even in the latest update to the atomic bomb
survivor data [12], the authors have claimed that zero dose is the best
estimate for a dose threshold for solid cancer mortality, apparently supporting
the LNT model. However, their
dose-threshold analysis should be considered faulty since it restricted the possible
functional forms of the dose-response relationship a priori. An analysis that used a more general functional form
to fit the data has demonstrated that the presence of a dose threshold cannot
be excluded [13]. In addition,
a recent analysis of the atomic bomb survivor data using artificial neural
networks has revealed the presence of a threshold dose that varied with organ,
gender, etc. and the reduction of some cancers at low doses [14].
Another study used to justify carcinogenic concerns
from low doses of radiation in the BEIR VII report and other publications [11] is the 15-country study of radiation workers [15, 16]. A re-analysis of the
cancer mortality data of the Canadian nuclear workers [17] has resulted in a negation of the original conclusion
of the entire 15‑country radiation worker study regarding cancer risks from low
doses of radiation [18]. Also, a Bayesian analysis of the 15‑country study
data has shown there is too much scatter in the data to make a definitive
conclusion about the cancer risk from low doses of radiation, and that the
dismissal of reduction in overall cancers in the radiation workers is
unjustified [19, 20].
Thus, the main arguments in the BEIR VII report (and
other publications) supporting the LNT model and increased cancer risks from
low doses of radiation cannot be considered valid. Further, evidence supporting
alternate (non-LNT) models and the beneficial effects of low doses of radiation
(i.e. radiation hormesis) have been published since the time of the BEIR VII
report [21-26], and the evidence presented in these publications have not been
challenged or repudiated in any peer-reviewed publication. The advisory bodies have however ignored such
publications without clearly stating why the evidence and arguments presented
in such publications are invalid, and they continue to promote the use of the
LNT model.
The continuing recommendations supporting the use of
the LNT model by the advisory bodies has had significant adverse societal
implications, particularly with regard to radiation protection policies and
public perception regarding radiation risk. For example, use of the LNT model
has led to substantial casualties in real-life situations because of the
ensuing fear of low doses of radiation among the general public, and the
actions taken by governments when handling radiological emergencies, e.g. in
Fukushima [27]. The use of
the LNT model has also led to frivolous lawsuits when emergency responders were
exposed to low levels of radiation near Fukushima [28]. The
unwarranted concerns regarding low doses of radiation have discouraged study of
the use of low dose radiation for the prevention and treatment of cancer, even
though animal and human studies have demonstrated its positive potential [22]. Such concerns have also discouraged the study of low
dose radiation for reducing neurodegenerative diseases for which presently
there are no methods of prevention or control, even though animal studies have shown promise [29, 30]. Finally, unwarranted concerns about the low doses of radiation used
in medical imaging have led some patients to forego medically appropriate
examinations, even when such exams are necessary for accurate diagnosis or
therapeutic planning [31]. Thus, though
the LNT model was touted as a conservative measure and a simplified, straightforward
regulatory approach, its actual use has led to tremendous harm, and it is
imperative that alternative paradigms for radiation safety are considered and
adopted.
Considering the overwhelming amount of data that
supports the validity of low dose radiation adaptive protection [23] and the resultant invalidation of the LNT model, we
urge you to recognize this publicly with a declaration and recommend to
governments that they discontinue the use of the LNT model for radiation safety
purposes, supplanting it with a threshold model.
We would be happy to discuss this matter with you or
provide additional information for your consideration. Thank you for your kind
attention to this important issue.
Sincerely,
Wade Allison, Oxford
University, UK
Allen Brodsky, Georgetown
University, USA
Mervyn D. Cohen, Indiana
University School of Medicine, USA
Jerry Cuttler, Cuttler &
Associates, Canada
Ludwik Dobrzynski, National
Center for Nuclear Research, Poland
Mohan Doss, Fox Chase Cancer
Center, USA
Vincent J. Esposito,
University of Pittsburgh, USA
Ludwig E. Feinendegen, Heinrich-Heine University, Germany
Krzysztof W. Fornalski,
Polish Nuclear Society, Poland
Leo S. Gomez, Leo S. Gomez Consulting, USA
Ed Hiserodt, Controls &
Power, Inc, USA
Marek K. Janiak, Military
Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Poland.
Patricia Lewis, Free
Enterprise Radon Health Mine, USA
Jeffrey Mahn, Sandia National
Laboratories (Retired), USA
Cynthia H. McCollough, Mayo
Clinic, USA
Mark L. Miller, Sandia
National Laboratories, USA
SMJ Mortazavi, Shiraz
University of Medical Sciences, Iran
Steven S. Payne, National
Nuclear Security Administration (Retired), Col USAF (Retired), USA
Charles W. Pennington,
Executive Consultant, USA
Jeffrey S. Philbin, Sandia
National Laboratories (Retired), USA
Chary Rangacharyulu,
University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Charles L. Sanders, Korea
Adv. Inst. of Science and Technology, S. Korea (Retired), USA
Bobby R. Scott, Lovelace
Respiratory Research Institute, USA
Jeffry A. Siegel, Nuclear Physics Enterprises, USA
Yehoshua Socol, Falcon
Analytics, Israel
Michael G Stabin, Vanderbilt
University, USA
James S. Welsh, President-elect,
American College of Radiation Oncology, USA
Note:
All signers of this letter are members or associate members of SARI (Scientists
for Accurate Radiation Information, http://radiationeffects.org/).
The above letter represents the professional opinions of the signers,
and does not necessarily represent the views of their affiliated institutions.
Email: sari-email@googlegroups.com
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Note: This Open Letter was e-mailed to the following
advisory bodies on Feb 28, 2014:
ICRP,
NCRP, UNSCEAR, IAEA, WHO, NAS
Copyright © 2014 by
Scientists for Accurate Radiation Information (SARI). You are encouraged to distribute this Open
Letter widely. You are given the right
to make copies of this letter in full or in part, provided the source of the
copy is identified as Scientists for Accurate Radiation Information (SARI),
with a link to the SARI website: http://radiationeffects.org
