A radiation induced health effect that occurs in a descendant of the exposed person. The less precise term genetic effect is also used, but hereditary effect is preferred. Hereditary effects are usually stochastic effects. Contrasting term: somatic effect. Late Effect: A radiation induced health effect that occurs years after the exposure that caused it. The most common late effects are stochastic effects, such as leukaemia and cancer, but some deterministic effects (e.g. cataract formation) can also be late effects. Non-Stochastic Effect: See: health effects (of radiation): deterministic effect. Severe Deterministic Effect: A deterministic effect that is fatal or life threatening or results in a permanent injury that reduces quality of life. See: Health Effects (of radiation): deterministic effect. Somatic Effect: A radiation induced health effect that occurs in the exposed person. This includes effects occurring after birth that are attributable to exposure in utero. Deterministic effects are normally also somatic effects; stochastic effects may be somatic effects or hereditary effects. Contrasting term: hereditary effect. Stochastic Effect: A radiation induced health effect, the probability of occurrence of which is greater for a higher radiation dose and the severity of which (if it occurs) is independent of dose. Stochastic effects may be somatic effects or hereditary effects, and generally occur without a threshold level of dose. Examples include various forms of cancer and leukaemia. Contrasting term: deterministic effect