Cancer and Radiation

In January 2012, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention released their Preliminary Data for the Leading Causes of Death in the United States. Their report showed that cancer is ranked at number two once again. As cancer rates remain high, it becomes increasingly important to understand what kinds of carcinogens, or cancer-causing agents, are around us, and how much they impact us. The known carcinogens that are well documented in terms of cancer death rates include smoking, alcohol consumption, and poor nutrition or insufficient physical exercise. However, not all known causes of cancer such as ionizing radiation are covered to this extent. How big of a role does ionizing radiation play in cancer deaths? Is it even worth noticing?
First, in order to understand why ionizing radiation leads to cancer, an important distinction must be made between ionizing and nonionizing radiation. “Radiation is ionizing if the energy of the radiation suffices to remove an electron from an atom to create an ion. Conversely, if the energy does not suffice to create ions it is called nonionizing” (Wikman, 2012). On simpler note, ionizing radiation is more powerful. Its effects are devastating as well. “The biological effects of ionizing radiation are generally well known. Ionizing radiation can cause cell death and acute harm to organs if sufficient numbers of cells are damaged. Another type of damage occurs in cells that are modified. This may lead to inheritable genetic changes and the development of cancer, which may manifest itself decades after exposure” (Wikman, 2012). Another source that conveys this same idea said, “Biological damage caused by exposure to ionizing ranges from mild tissue burns to cancer, genetic damage, and ultimately, death” (Lerner, 2008). Since ionizing radiation has the confirmed ability to cause cancer, the question goes back to how big a role it plays.
Natural sources of ionizing radiation are found in cosmic rays, and radioactive substances in