Recent publications and research activities at the Radiation Effect Research Foundation

Abstract

During this past year scientists form the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) have published a variety of papers on radiation or other health effects in RERF's Life Span Study (LSS), and Adult Health Study (AHS) cohort as well as other radiation-exposed populations studied in collaboration with various groups. Recent published papers have included new findings concerning possible long-term radiation effects on the immune system [1-3], further details on liver cancer among the survivors [4, 5], a comprehensive new analysis and summary of data on stable chromosome aberrations in the survivors [6], a report on a collaborative study of stable chromosome aberration frequencies in plutonium production workers from the former Soviet Union [7], information on radiotherapeutic doses received by members of the RERF study population [8], and a discussion of some statistical issues related to risk estimation in the Life Span Study or other radiation-exposed cohorts [9]. Other recent publications have made use of the RERF cohort follow-up data to investigate effects ofnon-radiation factors on cancer or other diseases [10-12]. Researchers at RERF are also involved in the development of methods to support current and future studies [13-16].A new issue of the RERF's occasional (hopefully semi-annual) newsletter, RERF Update, was published in the summer of 2001. RERF Update is now available online at:www2.rerf.or.jp/eigo/update/. In addition to containing a more complete list of RERF-related publications (which can also be obtained through the Scientific Archives section of the RERF home page: www.rerf.or.jp/eigo/archives/rsphome.htm), this issue of RERF Update includes comments on the status of the dosimetry revision and plans for a mail survey and clinical study (F1 clinical study) of children born to the survivors. There are also longer articles on analyses of haematological measurement data among participants in RERF's clinical study, the lack of randomness in location of radiation-induced translocation, and a summary of a recent paper [17] on the direct estimation of radiation effects at low doses (e.g. over the 0-100 mSv range).Two datasets have recently been added to the collection of datasets that can be freely downloaded from the RERF home page (www.rerf.or.jp/eigo/archives/archvtoc.htm). The first of these includes LSS Report 12 [18] data used in our analyses of radiation effects on non-cancer incidence in the atomic bomb survivors. The other is an extensive summary that contains information on cancer mortality and the presence or absence of various acute effects. These latter data were used in work by Alice Stewart and colleagues [19] on the potential impact of selection on cancer risk estimates for the atomic bomb survivors.Major LSS studies currently underway at RERF include: updated general analyses of mortality (through 1997) and cancer incidence (through 1995); more detailed studies of the incidence of nervous system, thyroid, and breast cancers; an analysis of the joint effects of radiation and smoking on lung cancer risks; and analyses of possible molecular alterations in breast and ovarian cancers. In addition to the F1 clinical study noted earlier, new analyses of mortality and cancer incidence are being carried out in the F1 mortality cohort, and data on untoward pregnancy outcomes during the first few years after the bombs are being reanalysed following a major review of dose estimates for parents of F1 cohort members. Updated analyses of cancer incidence and non-cancer mortality in the small cohort of people who where exposed in utero are also nearing completion.