Title: Risk analysis of thyroid cancer incidence after exposure in childhood in the most contaminated areas of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia in comparison with other studies

Authors: G. Goulko, M. Tronko, T. Bogdanova, K. Henrichs, I. Kayro, V. Shpak, M. Lassmann, Chr. Reiners

Addresses: Klinik und Poliklinik fur Nuklearmedizin der Universitat Wurzburg, 2 Josef Schneider Strasse, 97080 Wurzburg, Germany. ' Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 69 Vyshgorodskaya str., 254114 Kiev, Ukraine. ' Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 69 Vyshgorodskaya str., 254114 Kiev, Ukraine. ' SIEMENS Corporate Technology CT ES RD, Otto-Hahn-Ring 6, D-81739 Munchen, Germany. ' Ukrainian Scientific Centre of Radiation Medicine, 53 Melnikova str., 254050 Kiev, Ukraine. ' Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 69 Vyshgorodskaya str., 254114 Kiev, Ukraine. ' Klinik und Poliklinik fur Nuklearmedizin der Universitat Wurzburg, 2 Josef Schneider Strasse, 97080 Wurzburg, Germany. ' Klinik und Poliklinik fur Nuklearmedizin der Universitat Wurzburg, 2 Josef Schneider Strasse, 97080 Wurzburg, Germany

Abstract: The current knowledge about thyroid cancer induction due to ¹³¹I exposures during childhood is limited. Due to the low incidences observed, it was assumed that ¹³¹I is less effective in cancer induction by a factor of 3, if compared to external exposures. An increase of the thyroid cancer incidence among children and adolescents from the south-eastern Belorussian, the northern Ukrainian, and the western Russian oblasts after the reactor accident in Chernobyl is reported. As a result of the further improvement of the dose estimation methods, the individual exposure doses based on the results of direct thyroid activity measurement were recalculated, and the geographical pattern of age-dependent thyroid doses was analysed. These resulted in the re-assessment of collective doses and of thyroid cancer risk.

Keywords: Chernobyl; risk assessment; thyroid cancer; childhood exposure; radiation contamination; Ukraine; Belarus; Russia; cancer induction; children; adolescents; nuclear accidents; dose estimation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2006.009513

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2006 Vol.2 No.3/4, pp.188 - 206

Published online: 17 Apr 2006 *

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