Which of the following statements about the link between radiation and cancer is FALSE?

• A. Radiation therapy, while used to treat cancer, can sometimes increase the risk of developing a second cancer later in life.
• B. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is associated with an increased risk of skin cancer.
• C. All types of radiation, including non-ionizing radiation like radio waves, are known to cause cancer.
• D. Ionizing radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays, can damage DNA and increase cancer risk.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the types of radiation mentioned in the problem. Radiation can be categorized into ionizing radiation (e.g., X-rays, gamma rays) and non-ionizing radiation (e.g., radio waves, UV radiation). Ionizing radiation has enough energy to remove tightly bound electrons from atoms, which can lead to DNA damage.
2. Step 2: Review the biological effects of ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation can cause mutations in DNA, which may lead to cancer. This is why exposure to X-rays and gamma rays is associated with an increased cancer risk.
3. Step 3: Examine the effects of non-ionizing radiation. Non-ionizing radiation, such as radio waves, does not have enough energy to ionize atoms or molecules and is not typically associated with DNA damage or cancer risk. UV radiation, however, is a special case of non-ionizing radiation that can cause skin cancer due to its ability to damage DNA through photochemical reactions.
4. Step 4: Analyze the statement about radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation to target and kill cancer cells. However, it can sometimes damage healthy cells and increase the risk of developing a second cancer later in life.
5. Step 5: Identify the false statement. Based on the information above, the statement 'All types of radiation, including non-ionizing radiation like radio waves, are known to cause cancer' is false because non-ionizing radiation (except UV radiation) does not typically cause cancer.