ICRP Publication 103: Recommendations of the ICRP

Annals of the ICRP Volume 37/2-3
Elsevier, Price: £ 116.00

Abstract- These revised Recommendations for a System of Radiological Protection formally replace the Commission’s previous, 1990, Recommendations, and update, consolidate, and develop the additional guidance on the control of exposure from radiation sources issued since 1990.

The present Recommendations update the radiation and tissue weighting factors in the quantities equivalent and effective dose and update the radiation detriment, based on the latest available scientific information of the biology and physics of radiation exposure. They maintain the Commission’s three fundamental principles of radiological protection, namely justification, optimisation and the application of dose limits, clarifying how they apply to radiation sources delivering exposure and to individuals receiving exposure. The Recommendations evolve from the previous process-based protection approach using practices and interventions by moving to an approach based on the exposure situation. They recognise planned, emergency, and existing exposure situations, and apply the fundamental principles of justification and optimisation of protection to all of these situations. They maintain the Commission’s current individual dose limits for effective dose and equivalent dose from all regulated sources in planned exposure situations. They re-inforce the principle of optimisation of protection, which should be applicable in a similar way to all exposure situations, subject to restrictions on individual doses and risks: dose and risk constraints for planned exposure situations, and reference levels for emergency and existing exposure situations. The Recommendations also include an approach for developing a framework to demonstrate radiological protection of the environment.

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Microwaves for Cancer treatment

It is reported in Cancer Therapy Journal that large tumors in the breast, treated with a combination of chemotherapy and microwave heat treatment, have shown 50% higher size reduction than the tumors treated with chemotherapy alone. The combination of different cancer treatment techniques has been consistently showing better results than using a single technique such as chemotherapy or surgery.

It is worth mentioning here that radiation, either ionizing radiation such as X-rays and gamma rays or non-ionizing radiation such as microwaves can cause cancers under some conditions, and can also cure (destroy) cancers when the dose and dose rates are sufficiently high to kill the cancer tissues.

Two important precautions, however to be taken from the considerations of radiation protection are i) to ensure that the radiation dosage given should be optimized (not less, not more) and ii) the healthier tissues around the tumor are protected while giving the radiation dose.