Dear Colleagues,

Ionizing radiation is a well-known carcinogen with certain characteristics. Malignant tumors develop in a stochastic manner, meaning that the risk of cancer upon ionizing radiation exposure is dose-dependent; there is currently no recognized threshold dose for radiation carcinogenesis. Ionizing radiation can lead to the development of cancer in any tissue, in any race, and at any age. Cancer development after radiation exposure has a long latency period of several years to several decades, which highlights the potentially increased relative risk of people exposed at a young age.

Cancer developing as a consequence of ionizing radiation exposure cannot be discriminated from spontaneously occurring cancers due to a lack of suitable biomarkers. Better knowledge of the mechanisms of radiation carcinogenesis might allow us to decipher cellular and molecular pathways specifically induced by ionizing radiation, thus identifying those cancers which develop as a direct consequence of radiation exposure. This could help us in better risk estimation and prediction at the level of the individual as well as potentially developing new countermeasures and/or therapeutic tools. In addition, this could also help in identifying an individual’s predisposition to ionizing-radiation-induced cancer.

Traditionally it is considered that ionizing radiation, due to its DNA-damaging effect, increases the mutational burden of cells and induces genetic instability, which are major steps in cancer initiation and/or progression. While this effect is undoubtedly a major step in the carcinogenic process, it has been shown that ionizing radiation has much broader consequences, manifesting in several non-DNA targeted effects. Thus, it might impact the microenvironment of the tumor-initiating cells by altering intra- and intercellular communication pathways, leading to cellular senescence, inflammation, modifying local and systemic immune interactions, etc. These effects in the context of radiation carcinogenesis have been explored less. Therefore, this Special Issue aims at bringing together a collection of research articles, reviews, and short communication focusing on various aspects of radiation carcinogenesis that can contribute to identifying specific signatures of cancers induced by ionizing radiation. Clinical studies are not within the scope of the current Special Issue.

Dr. Katalin Lumniczky
Guest Editor

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• ionizing radiation
• cancer
• DNA damage
• non-targeted effects
• intercellular signaling
• inflammation