Childhood Leukemia and Background Radiation
Childhood leukemia is among the most radiosensitive cancers. DCEG investigators have contributed to the study of this cancer by verifying that only with adequate statistical power provided by tens of thousands of cases can assessments of risk be determined. In a record linkage study, DCEG investigators and collaborators linked over 60,000 cases from a large UK database and found a significant association of leukemia with natural background radiation exposure. These findings were consistent with the linear low dose risks observed in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors.
For more information, contact Mark Little.