Which of the following radiation-induced diseases can be differentiated from non-radiation-induced versions of the same disease?

• A. Cataracts
• B. Breast cancer
• C. Lung cancer
• D. Lifespan shortening

Answer: (A)

Radiation exposure can leave a distinctive fingerprint in the lens: cataracts that develop as posterior subcapsular cataracts. This location is much more characteristic of radiation-related cataracts than of age-related ones, which are usually nuclear sclerosis or cortical and lack the same posterior subcapsular pattern. In addition, the timing of onset after exposure—often related to the dose, with shorter latency at higher doses—helps differentiate radiation-induced cataracts from spontaneous, age-related cataracts. Other listed diseases do not have a reliable morphologic or clinical signature that clearly separates radiation-induced cases from non-radiation cases, so cataracts are the ones that can be distinguished in this way.