title: The risk of childhood leukaemia following exposure to ionising radiation--a review.
abstract: Since the early years of follow-up of the Japanese atomic-bomb survivors, it has been apparent that childhood leukaemia has a particular sensitivity to induction by ionising radiation, the excess relative risk (ERR) being expressed as a temporal wave with time since exposure. This pattern has been generally confirmed by studies of children treated with radiotherapy. Case-control studies of childhood leukaemia and antenatal exposure to diagnostic x-rays, a recent large cohort study of leukaemia following CT examinations of young people, and a recent large case-control study of natural background γ-radiation and childhood leukaemia have found evidence of raised risks following low-level exposure. These findings indicate that an ERR/Sv for childhood leukaemia of ~50, which may be derived from risk models based upon the Japanese atomic-bomb survivors, is broadly applicable to low dose or low dose-rate exposure circumstances.
authors.affiliation: Dalton Nuclear Institute, The University of Manchester, Pariser Building-G Floor, Sackville Street, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. Richard.Wakeford@manchester.ac.uk
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wakeford
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007953:Leukemia, Radiation-Induced / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D009689:Nuclear Warfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011847:Radioactive Fallout / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D011847:Radioactive Fallout