[ RadSafe ] Paper review of Hess et.al. from a health physics perspective

Sun Feb 9 12:53:39 CST 2014

Greetings RadSafers,

What better way to spend a snowy February Sunday afternoon than to read a paper or two and share a few comments?

I refer of course to the recent paper by Hess, et.al. reporting an association of a chromosome gain in juveniles with exposure to radioiodine during the Chernobyl disaster and the comments in “nuclear-news” blog that are purported to be related to this finding. 

As sometimes happens when media and activism report scientific results, what the authors – who are actual scientists – said, and what it is said they said are significantly different. 

What the authors said (my summary): 

1.    There is an association of a gain in chromosome band 7q11 in DNA from papillary thyroid carcinomas in radioiodine-exposed juveniles as compared to papillary thyroid carcinomas in non-exposed juveniles, who were age and region matched. 

2.    The CLIP2 gene was also overexpressed  in the exposed cohort. 

3.    The thyroid doses in the exposed group were estimated to be 150 mGy (whether or not this is a “low” dose is, I suppose, a matter of opinion – the authors’ opinion being yes). 

4.    39 percent of the exposed group showed this chromosomal gain, compared to none in the exposed group.  

5.    This study “provides insight into the radiation-related carcinogenesis of young-onset PTC”

What the authors didn’t say (my summary): 

A.    This methodology is applicable generally to any possible radiation related carcinogenesis.

B.    This effect has been observed in any population other than the very carefully, very thoroughly examined population of juveniles related to PTC’s near Chernobyl. 

C.     That typical environmental doses - much less than 150 mGy - would be likely to exhibit this trait. 

D.    That this trait is generally “proof” of exposure and subsequent carcinogenesis.

I encourage all to get a copy and read it  directly, and it's a good excuse to hit the library :}  

The “nuclear-news” crowd has not been so conservatively careful with the truth as the authors they cite – this is to be expected, unfortunately.

A note for your amusement:  A side panel on the “nuclear-news” blog warns it’s readers to be wary of “shills” who pretend to be something they are not – the irony of life never fails to amuse! 

 Happy Sunday!

 Brad Keck

On Feb 7, 2014, at 4:28 PM, Hans J Wiegert wrote:

> It would be interesting to get comments on this from REACTS (
> http://orise.orau.gov/reacts/) in Oak Ridge. Is anyone there a member of
> this forum?
> 
> Best Regards,
> 
> Hans
> 
> *Retirement is, when the only day you have to set your alarm clock is
> Sunday - so you are not late for church!*
> 
> 
> On Fri, Feb 7, 2014 at 9:55 AM, parthasarathy k s <ksparth at yahoo.co.uk>wrote:
> 
>> I thought the fingerprint of cancer identified in the present instance is
>> applicable only on accumulation of I-131 leading to structural changes in
>> specific regions of the Chromosome.
>> 
>> Regards
>> Parthasarathy
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Friday, 7 February 2014, 20:17, "KARAM, PHILIP" <PHILIP.KARAM at nypd.org>
>> wrote:
>> 
>> In addition, unless a test can differentiate between natural radiation,
>> medical radiation, and radiation from a nuclear power plant then there's
>> still not much to go on.
>> 
>> Say I were to get cancer (hypothetical only - I am perfectly healthy!) and
>> a test shows that the cancer is radiogenic. Well, over my lifetime I've
>> picked up about 150 mSv of background radiation, about 20 mSv of
>> occupational radiation, at least 500 mSv of medical radiation, and several
>> mSv of radiation from flying. I can't see how a test showing that radiation
>> damage caused the cancer could lead to the conclusion that the particular
>> radiation that caused the particular genetic damage in question came from
>> occupational exposure rather than one of the other sources.
>> 
>> Andy
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:
>> radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Ludwig E. Feinendegen
>> Sent: Friday, February 07, 2014 5:10 AM
>> To: 'The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Claim that Courts will be able to prove radiation
>> as cancer-causer, by DNA evidence
>> 
>> Roger et al.:   Please note that the PNAS article analyses patients exposed
>> to high thyroid doses.  McPherson's claim has no basis  re low doses.
>> Best,
>> Ludwig
>> 
>> 
>> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
>> Von: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
>> [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] Im Auftrag von Roger Helbig
>> Gesendet: Freitag, 7. Februar 2014 09:14
>> An: RADSAFE
>> Betreff: [ RadSafe ] Claim that Courts will be able to prove radiation as
>> cancer-causer, by DNA evidence
>> 
>> Is this legitimate research in a legitimate journal or yet another example
>> of the perversion of what once was perhaps known as a journal that reported
>> genuine scientific accomplishment.  MacPherson is in especially great form
>> these past couple of days.  If anyone from Australia on this list knows
>> this
>> woman, it is time that she is fully exposed along with whoever has funded
>> her endless stream of "not nuclear-news".
>> 
>> Roger Helbig
>> 
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: nuclear-news <comment-reply at wordpress.com>
>> Date: Thu, Feb 6, 2014 at 10:19 PM
>> Subject: [New post] Courts will be able to prove radiation as
>> cancer-causer,
>> by DNA evidence
>> To: rwhelbig at gmail.com
>> 
>> 
>> Christina MacPherson posted: "DNA Evidence Can Now Prove Link Between
>> Cancers And Fukushima Radiation, What if there were a way to establish a
>> direct and provable in court link between cancer and Fukushima radiation?
>> ...... Hess, J. et al Gain of chromosome band 7q11 in papillary thyroid"
>> Respond to this post by replying above this line
>> 
>> New post on nuclear-news
>> 
>> Courts will be able to prove radiation as cancer-causer, by DNA evidence
>> 
>> by Christina MacPherson
>> 
>> DNA Evidence Can Now Prove Link Between Cancers And Fukushima Radiation,
>> What if there were a way to establish a direct and provable in court link
>> between cancer and Fukushima radiation? ......
>> 
>> Hess, J. et al Gain of chromosome band 7q11 in papillary thyroid carcinomas
>> of young patients is associated with exposure to low-dose irradiation.
>> Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS); Link to
>> publication "Scientists have been able to discriminate between the cancers
>> caused by the radioactive contamination and those that arise naturally.
>> Prof.
>> Zitzelsberger ascribes the success of this study to the careful collection,
>> documentation and storage of thyroid cancers from the Chernobyl region in
>> the Chernobyl Tissue Bank. He noted that this unique collection of
>> materials
>> made it possible for the team to compare for the first time tumours from
>> children of the same age and regional background.
>> 
>> http://www.biosciencetechnology.com/News/Feeds/2011/05/sections-internationa
>> l-news-fingerprint-of-radiation-exposure-discovered-in-th/
>> via Fred Davis Invites Welcome
>> Gain of chromosome band 7q11 in papillary thyroid carcinomas of young
>> patients is associated with exposure to low-dose irradiation
>> http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/05/18/1017137108.abstract
>> This DNA marker is quite possibly the nuclear industry's worst nightmare.
>> Any medical professional or lawyer team around the world can now order a
>> DNA
>> test and have the cancer tissue analyzed to see if it was caused by
>> Fukushima or Chernobyl, or Santa Susana, or Three Mile Island radioactive
>> elements, each of which have a unique 'signature', just like people have
>> fingerprints.  ......
>> Since the nuclear industry in many countries has a legal immunity from
>> lawsuits, a recent class action to try and get this changed may open things
>> up on a larger front. Wouldn't you agree that a company that can harm or
>> kill millions of people should not be immune from lawsuits?
>> via MamaBears AgainstNukes "The lawyers for the 1.415 plaintiffs stated
>> that
>> they have filed a lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court, describing the case
>> as a landmark challenge to nuclear power plant manufacturers immunity from
>> liability in nuclear accidents."
>> 
>> http://nsnbc.me/2014/01/30/fukushima-landmark-lawsuit-filed-general-electric
>> -toshiba-hitachi/
>> Christina MacPherson | February 7, 2014 at 6:19 am | URL:
>> http://wp.me/phgse-gnp
>> 
>> 
>> http://nuclear-news.net/2014/02/07/courts-will-be-able-to-prove-radiation-as
>> -cancer-causer-by-dna-evidence/
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