Ionizing radiation and radionuclides are widely used in diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. Radiation related methods and procedures are especially useful in diagnostic applications where they provide valuable information about the patient conditions and problems. In this case, the effort is concentrated in obtaining the required diagnostic data while keeping the exposure to the patients to a very minimum level. On the other hand, the therapeutic use of radiation, in the form of external or internal exposure is aimed at delivering the relevant (rather high) doses to a particular volume in the organ or tissue in order to cure the tumour. In both of these modalities, the patients also receive a certain undesirable dose to healthy or normal tissues in the vicinity of the tumour. Obviously, any exposure may result in some stochastic effects characterized by a very small increase in the probability of developing additional cancers in years after the exposure. The paper discusses various methods of explaining the radiation risk to patients undergoing specific examinations or treatments involving radiation exposure. It also outlines the approach of the European Union and the situation in the Czech Republic.

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