Which type of cancer may result from over-exposure to ionizing radiation?

Ionizing radiation is known to cause changes at the cellular level that can lead to cancer. Among the types of cancer linked to ionizing radiation exposure, leukemia is particularly significant. The reason leukemia is closely associated with ionizing radiation is that the bone marrow, which is where blood cells are produced, is highly sensitive to radiation. Overexposure can cause mutations in the DNA of the hematopoietic (blood-forming) cells, leading to cancers such as leukemia.

While melanoma, lung cancer, and prostate cancer can also be influenced by various factors, they are not as strongly linked to ionizing radiation as leukemia is. Melanoma is primarily associated with ultraviolet radiation exposure, lung cancer is often tied to environmental pollutants and smoking, and prostate cancer has various risk factors that do not include ionizing radiation as a prominent cause. This underscores the unique risk that ionizing radiation poses specifically for leukemia, making it the most relevant option in the context of this question.