Repopulation

The proliferation of surviving clonogenic tumour cells during fractionated radiotherapy. Rapid repopulation of clonogenic tumour cells during therapy is an important factor in treatment resistance; The regeneration response of early-reacting tissues to fractionated irradiation, which results in an increase in radiation tolerance with increasing overall treatment time. (Adapted from ICRP Publication 118, 2012)

ICRP Glossary entry - June 2019