RE: Cancer Rates and Risks

[Richard Smart <R.Smart@unsw.edu.au>]

At 04:46 P 22.11.1999 -0600, Bruce Heinmiller wrote:
>The NCI article on ionizing radiation contains the following statement:  "In
>general, the breast, thyroid, and bone marrow are most sensitive to the
>effects of ionizing radiation."  

Perhaps this is meant to reflect the latent periods for cancers of these
organs rather than the absolute risk.  If I remember correctly,  the order
in which cancers were confirmed in the atomic bomb survivors was :
leukaemia, thyroid cancer and then breast cancer.

Regards


Richard Smart PhD
Principal Physicist & Radiation Safety Officer
Department of Nuclear Medicine
St. George Hospital
Kogarah, NSW 2217
Australia
Tel:61 2 9350 3112
Fax:61 2 9350 3991
Email:R.Smart@unsw.edu.au
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