RADIOINDUCED CANCER

Publications about approximately two million irradiated people and the ir death after irradiation, were reviewed. This review considers only statistically important publications. In 140,000 people exposed to env ironmental radiation in zones of high background and in 350,000 occupa tionally exposed within recommended annual doses, no excess cancer was detected. In 1,504,000 people prenatally exposed to low doses (about 1cGY) due to diagnostic radiological examinations, the rate of cancer death before 15 years of age, was similar to unexposed populations. In 195,000 exposed to high radiotherapeutic doses, a variable increase i n the incidence of cancer was detected. In 825,000 people that receive d internal and external irradiation in Chernobyl, no increase in cance r deaths was detected until 1991. In 1993, an increased incidence of t hyroid gland carcinoma was preliminarily reported. Finally, in 100,000 people irradiated at Hiroshima and Nagasaki an excess leukemia rate w as found in the group that received doses over 200 cGy.