Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Abomb survivors

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Hiroshima and NagasakiThe A-bomb survivors

• Eirik Malinen

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The atomic bombs
National Atomic Energy Museum, Albuquerque
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The bombing of H N

• Populations 330,000 and 250,000
• gt 100,000 died immediately
• Joint Japanese and US committee for the
  follow-up of survivors
• ABCC (Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission, 1947-1975)
• RERF (Radiation Effects Research Foundation, 1975
  - )

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Studies

• Cancer incidence and mortality
• Genetic effects expressed in offspring
• Cytogenetic effects
• Effects on embryo/fetus
• Psychological effects
• Heart / coronary diseases
• ....

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The LSS (Life Span Study) cohort
D. L. Preston et al. Radiat. Res. 137, S68-S97
(1994)
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Radiobiology

• Biological effects vary with dose
• Epidemiology is vital for the study of exposed
  populations
• H N e.g. cohort study of cancer incidence

Control population
Exposed population
Ionizing radiation
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Dose estimates (1)
J. V. Neel and W. J. Schull In The children of
atomic bomb survivors (1991)
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Dose estimates (2)

• Bomb yield and radiation spectrum
• Radiation transport in air
• Shielding from buildings
• Absorption in organs

US-Japan joint reassessment of atomic bomb
radiation dosimetry in Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. Volume 1 (RERF, 1986)
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Dose estimates (3)
US-Japan joint reassessment of atomic bomb
radiation dosimetry in Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. Volume 1 (RERF, 1987)
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Dose estimates and risk
Adapted from D. C. Kaul In Atomic bomb
survivors and their children (1998)
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A word of caution

• Annual dose from background radiation
• 4 mSv per year
• X-ray examinations
• 0.1 mSv - 10 mSv
• Average acute dose following bombs in H N
• 220 mSv

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Cancer models

• Cancer incidence depends on (a. o.)
• Age attained
• Sex
• Age at exposure
• Models must include these variables plus absorbed
  dose
• Different cancers display different time patterns

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Cancer in H N

• ? H N survivors must be evaluated statistically
  as an isolated population
• Controls are survivors found gt 2500 m from
  hypocenter at the time of bombing
• ? Excess cancer deaths due to radiation
  (1950-1990) 420

E. Ron et al., Radiat. Res. 137, S98-S112
(1994) D. A. Pierce et al., Radiat. Res. 146,
1-27 (1996)
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Cancer risks (1)
Solid tumors Risk background risk x 1
ERR(dose)
Leukemia Risk background risk EAR(dose)
D. L. Preston et al. Radiat. Res. 137, S88-S97
(1994)
D. E. Thompson et al. Radiat. Res. 137, S17-S67
(1994)
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Cancer risks (2)
Breast
Thyroid
Adapted from D.E. Thompson et al. Radiat. Res.
137, S17-S67 (1994)
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Cancer risks (3)
M. P. Little Int. J. Radiat. Biol. 77, 1-34 (2001)
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Prenatal exposure

• 62 out of 1473 had reduced head size

M. Otake W. J. Schull Int. J. Radiat. Biol. 63,
255-270 (1993)
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Genetic effects in offspring

• Search for independent effects in offspring due
  to mutations

J. V. Neel et al. Am. J. Hum. Gen. 46, 1053-1072
(1993)
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Cytogenetics (1)

• Chromosome aberrations formed by ionizing
  radiation
• Frequency of stable aberrations in lymphocytes
  scored by microscopy
• Elaborate measurements

A. A. Awa, Radiation Effects Research Foundation
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Cytogenetics (2)

• Notable difference between H N

D. O. Stram et al. Radiat. Res. 136, 29-36 (1993)
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Cytogenetics (3)
Department of Genetics, Radiation Effects
Research Foundation
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EPR dosimetry

• Paramagnetic centers induced by ionizing
  radiation in tooth enamel
• Detected by EPR spectroscopy
• Here related to chromosome aberrations

N. Nakamura et al. Int. J. Radiat. Biol. 73,
619-627 (1998)