The complex interactions between radiation induced non-targeted effects and cancer

• Last two decade published data on BEs are critically reviewed.
• The central role of cell-cell communication on non-targeted effects is underlined.
• The relevance of radiation quality is emphasised.
• The most relevant aspects and the still opened questions are evidenced.

Radiation induced non-targeted effects have been widely investigated in the last two decades for their potential impact on low dose radiation risk. In this paper we will give an overview of the most relevant aspects related to these effects, starting from the definition of the low dose scenarios. We will underline the role of radiation quality, both in terms of mechanisms of interaction with the biological matter and for the importance of charged particles as powerful tools for low dose effects investigation. We will focus on cell communication, representing a common feature of non-targeted effects, giving also an overview of cancer models that have explicitly considered such effects.