Skin cancer in an atomic veteran: cause or coincidence?

Some military personnel who were exposed to ionizing radiation during atomic weapons tests subsequently developed skin cancer, but the cause-effect relationship is unclear.

To explore the possible relationship between exposure to atomic tests and the development of skin cancer.

We reviewed available literature regarding the effects of radiation on the skin and the case history of a patient in whom more than 300 basal cell carcinomas developed over a 30-year period after exposure to radiation during atomic testing.

Ionizing radiation can cause skin cancer, usually basal cell carcinoma. In some veterans of atomic testing, skin cancer may have been initiated by ionizing radiation and promoted by ultraviolet radiation. We conclude that exposure to ionizing radiation during atomic weapons testing contributed to the excessive number and location of basal cell carcinomas in our patient.