Stochastic radiation effects are often described by which of the following terms?

Stochastic radiation effects are characterized by their non-threshold nature, meaning that there is no safe dose that can be identified below which the effect does not occur. These effects are probabilistic, meaning that as the dose of radiation increases, so does the likelihood of the effect occurring, but not the severity of the effect.

For instance, cancer induction and genetic mutations are considered stochastic effects; they may occur as a result of exposure to even low levels of radiation, and there's no minimum threshold dose that guarantees they won't happen. This is distinctly different from deterministic effects, which require a certain threshold of exposure before any effect can be observed, and where the severity of the effect typically increases with dose. Understanding this characteristic is crucial in fields like radiation safety and radiology, as it influences the guidelines and practices around radiation exposure.