In the follow-up project mathematical tools and software that have been developed in the Marie Curie Individual Fellowship FIGH-CT-2002-50513 will be used and extended for continued research in the field of risk estimation of low doses of ionising radiation via mechanistic cancer models. The intention is to continue to collaborate with the partners at RIVM and to also extend ongoing projects with collaborators in the US (Purdue University) and Canada (Chalk River Laboratories).

Recently published data (Mitcheletal., Radiat Res 159(3): 320-327, 2003) which show that low doses of gamma-radiation delivered at low dose-rates increase tumour latency of spontaneous lymphomas and spinal osteosarcomas in mice will be used to test the model. Biological mechanisms other than those already implemented in the mechanistic cancer model will be incorporated. In addition it is planned to incorporate detrimental and protective bystander effects into the cancer model. Possible technical extensions of the software that was produced in the ongoing Marie Curie Individual Fellowship are Monte Carlo simulations using the Crystal Ball Pro software.

The aim is to include those biological mechanisms into the cancer model that are most relevant at low doses of ionising radiation. Mode l simulations are then performed to see which mechanisms dominate in the low dose region and to predict the shape of the dose-response relationship at low doses of ionising radiation.