Radiation cell killing described by the two-component theory and by the alpha beta-equation. A comparison and evaluation.

The two-component theory for radiation damages has already been described about 20 years ago. The corresponding survival equation for radiation-damaged cells has between four and six parameters, thus providing a wider scope for investigations of the different radiation effects. The "linear-square equation" described later on (in 1973) can be considered as a mathematically simplified approximation, which is sufficient for many clinical conditions, with the two-component equation and investigates the scope of validity of the approximation.