Lag

To account for the minimum latent period (or latency) of a particular disease (e.g. lung cancer) – the period after the exposure of interest during which any increased risk of the particular disease will not be apparent clinically – a lag may be included in the analysis to exclude cases of the disease that occur during this latent period, but which cannot be related to the exposure of interest. Exposures (e.g. radiation doses) occurring during the minimum latent period may also be excluded, which is referred to as ‘exposure’ or ‘dose lagging’.

ICRP Publication 150, 2021

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See also [Risk]]