Abstract
Radionuclide contamination in terrestrial ecosystems has reached a dangerous level. The major artificial radionuclide present in the environment is cesium-137 (137-Cs). In humans, animals, and plants cesium ion (Cs+) behaves like potassium ion (K+) and it is localized mainly inside the cells. Pancreas and salivary glands secrete Cs in the intestine thus eliminating about 14% of ingested Cs with the feces, the remaining 86% is eliminated by the kidney with the urine. Ingested radiocesium can also cause in humans several cases of pancreatitis with secondary diabetes (type 3c), which are both on the rise in the world. The Author studied the correlation between the geographical map of mortality from pancreatic cancer (PC) and the map of nuclear plant accidents, atomic bomb testing, and radioactive fallout. The worldwide death rate of PC is increasing, but the exact cause is still not known. Published data in medical literature at World, European and Italian levels are reviewed and compared. 137-Cs, with a half-life of about 30 years, is still present in the environment for about 300–600 years. Autoradiographic studies in mice have shown that 137-Cs is concentrated in greater quantity in the pancreas, particularly in exocrine cells, where most malignant PCs originate. Some methods of radiocesium removal and PC prevention are also suggested. But there is still a persistent, and not entirely disinterested, the controversy between damage from high and low exposure to ionizing radiations.
Highlights
Radionuclide contamination in terrestrial ecosystems has reached a dangerous level.The major artificial radionuclide present in the environment is radiocesium (137-Cs).Worldwide, both the incidence and death rates of pancreatic cancer (PC) are increasing (Figure 1) [1,2].PC is the seventh leading cause of global cancer deaths in industrialized countries and the third most common cancer in the USA
It has been shown that 131-I released from Chernobyl caused an increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) in the former Soviet Union and in Fukushima, but TC mortality rates are generally low, even at higher tumor stages [19,24]. 131-I may give a higher initial dose, but its short half-life of 8 days ensures that it will soon be gone. 131-I remains in the environment for about 100 days
General risk factors include the following: Age, with nearly 90 percent found among people aged 55 and older; gender, the cancer being somewhat more common in men than women; obesity; types I and II diabetes mellitus; chronic pancreatitis; liver cirrhosis, Helicobacter pylori infection, and cigarettes smoking, the latter cause attributable to almost one-third of all PC
Summary
The major artificial radionuclide present in the environment is radiocesium (137-Cs). Worldwide, both the incidence and death rates of pancreatic cancer (PC) are increasing (Figure 1) [1,2]. Worldwide incidence and mortality of PC correlate with increasing age and are slightly more common in men than in women. Despite advancement in the knowledge of potential risk factors that cause PC and in newly available tools for early diagnosis, its incidence is estimated to increase and will include 355,317 new cases up to the year 2040 in the U.S the death rate may increase more than that of other cancers because PC, unlike many other cancers, is still incurable. Temporaltrends trendsof ofdeaths deathscaused causedby bythe themost mostfrequent frequentcancers cancersand andtheir theirforecast forecastininthe the Figure world from to world from 2010 to 2030
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