Non-medical exposure to radioiodines and thyroid cancer.
The Chernobyl accident, which occurred 32 years after the accidental exposure of Marshall islanders, resulted in the exposure of neighbouring populations to a mixture of iodine isotopes and in an increased incidence of thyroid cancer. The highest thyroid doses were received by the youngest age groups. This review describes the existing evidence, and examines factors that may have increased the risk. It also stresses problems with contemporary thyroid measurements, and the lack of information on the sensitivity of the thyroid to short-lived iodine isotopes and iodine-131. Practical considerations for nuclear physicians, epidemiologists and thyroidologists are discussed in the light of this major accident.
Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, France.
Elif
E
Hindié
Laurence
L
Leenhardt
Françoise
F
Vitaux
Nicole
N
Colas-Linhart
Pascale
P
Grosclaude
Pierre
P
Galle
André
A
Aurengo
B
B
Bok
D000059:Accidents; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005507:Food Contamination, Radioactive; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007455:Iodine / Q000172:deficiency; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008297:Male; D008849:Micronesia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000209:etiology*; D009688:Nuclear Reactors; D009689:Nuclear Warfare; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011833:Radiation Injuries, Experimental / Q000209:etiology; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D002094:Republic of Belarus / Q000453:epidemiology; D012306:Risk; D013667:Technetium / Q000009:adverse effects; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000528:radiation effects; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D014455:Ukraine / Q000453:epidemiology
D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants; D013667:Technetium; D007455:Iodine