ABSTRACT-The study was conducted to assess DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes of cancer patients put on radiotherapy, medical workers occupationally exposed to ionizing radiations and control group of normal healthy individuals. The blood samples were collected from 20 cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy in Government Rajindra hospital, Patiala, 16 medical workers from Radiology and Radiotherapy department of Government Rajindra hospital, Mata Kaushalya hospital, T.B. hospital, Patiala and 10 normal healthy individuals from Punjabi University, Patiala, India. The DNA damage was evaluated by using alkaline COMET assay, the damage was assessed from two COMET parameters i.e. mean COMET tail length and frequency of cells showing migration. It was found that all the cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy as well as the medical workers, who were occupationally exposed to ionizing radiations for variable period of time showed DNA damage, whereas none of the control subjects showed any damage. The comparison of DNA damage between the cancer patients and medical workers revealed highly significant differences. On the basis of results obtained, it could be said that the exposure to acute high doses of radiations cause greater DNA damage in comparison to chronic low doses of radiations.