Which of the following is a stochastic effect of ionizing radiation?

Which of the following is a stochastic effect of ionizing radiation?

• A. Leukemia
• B. Epilation
• C. Cancer
• D. Erythema

Answer: (A)

Stochastic effects are probabilistic and have no fixed lower threshold: any amount of radiation carries some risk, and the chance of occurrence increases with dose rather than appearing at a specific dose level. Leukemia is a classic example because radiation exposure raises the probability of developing this cancer of blood-forming tissues, and the onset can occur after a latency period with no clear dose threshold. Deterministic effects, by contrast, have threshold doses and their severity grows with dose once that threshold is exceeded. Epilation (hair loss) and erythema (skin reddening) are typical deterministic effects, appearing only after a certain dose and becoming more severe as dose increases. Cancer is also a stochastic effect, but leukemia is often highlighted as a representative example of a stochastic outcome related to radiation exposure.

Stochastic effects are probabilistic and have no fixed lower threshold: any amount of radiation carries some risk, and the chance of occurrence increases with dose rather than appearing at a specific dose level. Leukemia is a classic example because radiation exposure raises the probability of developing this cancer of blood-forming tissues, and the onset can occur after a latency period with no clear dose threshold.

Deterministic effects, by contrast, have threshold doses and their severity grows with dose once that threshold is exceeded. Epilation (hair loss) and erythema (skin reddening) are typical deterministic effects, appearing only after a certain dose and becoming more severe as dose increases.

Cancer is also a stochastic effect, but leukemia is often highlighted as a representative example of a stochastic outcome related to radiation exposure.