RADIATION-ASSOCIATED THYROID-CANCER - FACTS AND FICTION

Thyroid cancer is a rare and complex disease and the thyroid contains various cell types from which specific diseases arise. The malignancie s range from indolent to extremely aggressive. Several risk factors fo r thyroid cancers have been suggested, but only ionizing radiation has been found to have a causative effect. With the exception of tobacco, ionizing radiation is probably the most studied carcinogen there is. It is not pet possible to determine whether or not a specific cancer w as induced by radiation and epidemiological studies therefore provide the primary data on cancer risk in man after exposure to ionizing radi ation. The current epidemiological knowledge on radiation-associated t hyroid cancer is reviewed, focusing on the sharply increased risks rec ently found among children in the Chernobyl area.