[On the problem of radiation damage caused by roentgenography of the thorax (author's transl)].

The risk factors for radiation induced cancer (no dose threshold) given by UNSCEAR and ICRP are discussed. Under the (uncertain) supposition of the validity of these values for the roentgendiagnostic the number of cases induced by the mass screenings (VRRU) are estimated (lung and breast cancer, leukaemia). For 30 radiophotofluorographs of the thorax per person during the whole life there may be induced about 180 cancer of the lung, 5 of the breast and 27 leukaemias each year. These numbers are compared with the cases per year of lung tuberculosis and lung cancer found by VRRU. The connection between the cases of cancer and the irradiation cannot be validated statistically.