Which tissue is most likely to develop cancer from exposure to equal doses of ionizing radiation?

Which tissue is most likely to develop cancer from exposure to equal doses of ionizing radiation?

• A. Breasts
• B. Deltoids
• C. Skin
• D. Thyroid

Answer: (A)

Radiosensitivity to ionizing radiation is higher in tissues with active cell turnover and glandular epithelium, because more dividing cells mean more opportunities for radiation-induced DNA damage to lead to cancer. Breast tissue has a substantial amount of glandular, ductal epithelial cells that divide during development and hormonal cycles, making mutations from radiation more likely to become malignant over time. That higher propensity for radiation-induced transformation translates into a greater cancer risk for equal doses of radiation in breast tissue than in other options like deltoid muscle (which has low turnover), skin (which, while susceptible in some contexts, generally carries a lower risk per equal dose in this comparison), or the thyroid (which is indeed sensitive, but the breast tissue tends to show a higher cancer risk in this framing). So, the best answer is breast tissue because its cellular composition and proliferative activity make it more prone to radiogenic cancer under equal exposure.

Radiosensitivity to ionizing radiation is higher in tissues with active cell turnover and glandular epithelium, because more dividing cells mean more opportunities for radiation-induced DNA damage to lead to cancer. Breast tissue has a substantial amount of glandular, ductal epithelial cells that divide during development and hormonal cycles, making mutations from radiation more likely to become malignant over time. That higher propensity for radiation-induced transformation translates into a greater cancer risk for equal doses of radiation in breast tissue than in other options like deltoid muscle (which has low turnover), skin (which, while susceptible in some contexts, generally carries a lower risk per equal dose in this comparison), or the thyroid (which is indeed sensitive, but the breast tissue tends to show a higher cancer risk in this framing). So, the best answer is breast tissue because its cellular composition and proliferative activity make it more prone to radiogenic cancer under equal exposure.