The future of biological dosimetry in mass casualty radiation emergency response, personalised radiation risk estimation and space radiation protection.

Abstract

PURPOSE\nThe aim of this brief personal, high level review is to consider the state of the art for biological dosimetry for radiation routine and emergency response, and the potential future progress in this fascinating and active field. Four areas in which biomarkers may contribute to scientific advancement through improved dose and exposure characterisation, as well as potential contributions to personalised risk estimation, are considered: emergency dosimetry, molecular epidemiology, personalised medical dosimetry, and space travel.\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nIonising radiation biodosimetry is an exciting field which will continue to benefit from active networking and collaboration with the wider fields of radiation research and radiation emergency response to ensure effective, joined up approaches to triage; radiation epidemiology to assess long term, low dose, radiation risk; radiation protection of workers, optimisation and justification of radiation for diagnosis or treatment of patients in clinical uses, and protection of individuals travelling to space.