Re: Ukraine's Thyroid Cancer Rate Rises

[Ruth Weiner <rfweine@sandia.gov>]

     Is any age correlation with increased cancers given?  The Chernobyl 
     disaster was in 1986, about 12.5 years ago.  Consequently, any 
     children whose thyroid cancer is linked to direct exposure must be at 
     least 12 1/2 years old.  Exposure from vegetation contamination and 
     milk contamination might take this down to 10 years. What is the 
     latency for thyroid cancer?  At what age is a thyroid cancer victim no 
     longer considered a child?  These are real questions I have -- not 
     rhetorical or facetious ones.
     
     Clearly only my own opinion.
     
     Ruth Weiner
     rfweine@sandia.gov


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Ukraine's Thyroid Cancer Rate Rises
Author:  sandyfl@earthlink.net at hubsmtp
Date:    10/19/98 4:12 PM


More data for our resident Radsafe epidemiologists:
     
Monday October 19 1:52 PM EDT
     
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) _ The number of cases of thyroid cancer 
among Ukrainian children is increasing following the 1986 
Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the country's health minister said 
Monday.
     
About 1,030 children now suffer from thyroid cancer in Ukraine, 
said the minister Andriy Serdiuk. Not too long ago, the figure 
was only 800 or 900, he said, without giving an exact time frame.
     
``The appearance of this disease was caused by the 
consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power 
plant,'' Serdiuk said.
     
The 1986 explosion and fire at Chernobyl was the world's worst 
nuclear accident. It sent a cloud of radiation over parts of the 
former Soviet Union and Europe, causing serious health problems 
in Ukraine and neighboring Belarus.
     
Serdiuk spoke after discussing Chernobyl-related health issues 
with the visiting U.N. humanitarian aid coordinator, Sergio 
Vieira de Mello.
     
He said the U.N. official's visit might help the country better battle 
the consequences of the disaster.
     
Ukraine is to receive $2.5 million under a program sponsored by 
the United Nations and U.S. cancer institutions to provide
health care for the people who cleaned up after the explosion and 
their children.
     
     
------------------
Sandy Perle
Technical Director
ICN Dosimetry Division
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Office: (800) 548-5100 x2306
Fax:    (714) 668-3149
     
sandyfl@earthlink.net
sperle@icnpharm.com
     
ICN Dosimetry Website:
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Personal Website:
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"The object of opening the mind, as of opening
the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
              - G. K. Chesterton -
     
The opinions expressed are solely, absolutely, positively, definitely those of 
the author, and NOT my employer
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