A radiation burn is damage to the skin or other biological tissue caused by exposure to ionizing radiation. The most common type of radiation burn is a sun burn caused by UV light. High exposure to x rays during diagnostic medical imaging or radiotherapy have also resulted in radiation burns. As the ionizing radiation interacts with cells within the body, damaging them, the body responds to this damage, typically resulting in erythema, redness around the damaged area. Radiation burns are often associated with cancer due to the ability of ionizing radiation to interact and damage DNA, occasionally inducing a cell to become cancerous.

Beta burns

These tend to be shallow as beta particles are not able to penetrate deep into the person; these burns can be similar to sun burn.

Gamma burns

Depending on the photon energy these burns can be very deep, with ^{60Co these burns can be all the way through a person.}

Cancer treatments | Dermatology | Oncology | Radioactivity | Radiation oncology | Radiobiology | Sun tanning | Radiation effects

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