title: Issues and epidemiological evidence regarding radiation-induced thyroid cancer.
abstract: The available information on the induction of thyroid cancer in humans by ionizing radiation is summarized and weaknesses or gaps in assessing risk are identified. Issues to be addressed include: average estimates of thyroid cancer risk from external irradiation, the effects of age on thyroid cancer induction, shape of the dose-response curve for acute irradiation, magnitude of risk at low doses, effects of dose fractionation or dose protraction, the relative effectiveness of iodine-131 (131I) in inducing thyroid cancer compared to external radiation, the temporal course of radiogenic thyroid cancer risk, mortality caused by thyroid cancer, host-susceptibility factors for radiogenic thyroid cancer, and biological factors in risk. It is concluded that the most important needs are to obtain more information on thyroid cancer risks following low-level or highly fractionated radiation exposures and following 131I exposure in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University Medical Center, New York 10010-2598.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Shore
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D011847:Radioactive Fallout; D012306:Risk; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011847:Radioactive Fallout