What is the risk of developing cancer from low doses of radiation referred to as?

The risk of developing cancer from low doses of radiation is referred to as stochastic risk. This concept pertains to the probability of an event occurring (in this case, the development of cancer) being proportional to the dose of radiation received, regardless of the severity of the effect. Stochastic effects are those that occur by chance and generally manifest after long latency periods.

In the context of radiation exposure, even minimal doses may theoretically increase the likelihood of cancer over an extended timeframe, indicating that the relationship is not about a defined threshold below which there are no effects, but rather one where risks accumulate with exposure. Stochastic risk is fundamental in radiation protection guidelines and emphasizes the importance of minimizing exposure, even at low levels, as there is always a potential for adverse effects, such as cancer.

Other terms like deterministic risk refer to effects that have a clear dose threshold, such as skin burns, where severity and likelihood increase as the dose increases. Linear risk is a model describing the relationship but does not specifically capture the stochastic nature. Probabilistic risk is a more general term that could apply in different contexts, but it is within the framework of stochastic risks that low-dose cancer causation is most appropriately classified.