Radiation Syndromes

Important
It is possible that the main title of the report Radiation Syndromes is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.

Synonyms

Radiation Disease
Radiation Effects
Radiation Illness
Radiation Injuries
Radiation Reaction
Radiation Sickness

Disorder Subdivisions

None

General Discussion

Radiation syndromes describe the harmful effects--acute, delayed, or chronic--produced by exposure to ionizing radiations. Tissues vary in response to immediate radiation injury according to the following descending order of sensitivity: (1) lymph cells (2) reproductive organs (3) proliferating cells of the bone marrow (4) epithelial cells of the bowel (5) top layer (epidermis) of the skin (6) liver cells (7) epithelium of the little lung sacs (alveoli) and bile passages (8) kidney epithelial cells (9) endothelial cells of the membranes around the lungs, lining the chest cavity (pleura) and the abdominal cavity (peritoneum) (10) nerve cells (11) bone cells (12) muscle and connective tissue. Generally, the more rapid the turnover of the cell, the greater the radiation sensitivity.
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Resources

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
1311 Mamaroneck Ave
3rd Floor
White Plains, NY 10605
Tel: (914)949-5213
Fax: (914)949-6691
Tel: (800)955-4572
Email: infocenter@LLS.org
Internet: http://www.LLS.org

American Cancer Society, Inc.
1599 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
USA
Tel: 4043203333
Tel: 8002272345
Internet: http://www.cancer.org

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements
7910 Woodmont Avenue
Suite 400
Bethesda, MD 20814-3095
USA
Tel: 3016572652
Fax: 3019078768
Email: ncrp@NCRPonline.org
Internet: http://www.NCRPonline.org

For a Complete Report

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ® (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html

The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only. NORD recommends that affected individuals seek the advice or counsel of their own personal physicians.
It is possible that the title of this topic is not the name you selected. Please check the Synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and Disorder Subdivision(s) covered by this report.
This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.
For additional information and assistance about rare disorders, please contact the National Organization for Rare Disorders at P.O. Box 1968, Danbury, CT 06813-1968; phone (203) 744-0100; web site www.rarediseases.org or email orphan@rarediseases.org
Last Updated: 5/10/2008
Copyright 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2003 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.

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