Cancer is an example of which type of radiation effect?

• A. Stochastic effects
• B. Nonstochastic effects
• C. Deterministic effects
• D. Acute effects

Answer: (A)

Stochastic effects are random outcomes where the probability of occurrence increases with the radiation dose, but the severity of the effect is not tied to how large the dose was. Cancer fits this pattern because the risk of developing cancer rises with greater radiation exposure, yet the cancer that might occur isn’t determined by the exact dose received. There isn’t a clear dose at which cancer starts; instead, risk scales with dose, which is why this is modeled as a probabilistic, dose-dependent effect.

Nonstochastic (deterministic) effects have thresholds and become more severe as dose increases (like skin reddening or cataracts), and acute effects refer to those early deterministic outcomes after high-dose exposure. So cancer is a stochastic effect.