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Frequently Asked Questions |
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What is the relationship of radiation
to cancer occurrence? |
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In addition to analyzing cancer
mortality (deaths due to cancer), RERF analyzes data on cancer incidence
obtained through the tumor
registries of Hiroshima and Nagasaki prefectures.
Although mortality studies are valuable, the accuracy of cancer diagnoses from death
certificates is limited and mortality studies provide little information
about the occurrence of cancers with relatively high survival rates.
Among 105,427 members of the Life Span Study cohort whose radiation doses were known, 17,448 first primary solid cancers
were diagnosed between 1958 and 1998, about three-quarters with histological
verification. Significant radiation associations were observed for oral
cavity, esophagus, stomach, colon, lung, breast, ovary, urinary bladder,
thyroid, liver, non-melanoma skin, and nervous system cancers. Because
factors other than radiation can increase the risk of cancer (such as smoking,
certain chemicals, various viral and bacterial agents, and so on), RERF
researchers are now examining individual types of cancer more carefully
to determine what role radiation plays in the mechanism of cancer causation
and how it might interact with these other cancer risk factors. |
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