Neutron-induced tumors in BC3F1 mice: effects of dose fractionation

An experimental study of the biological effectiveness of multifractionated low doses of high-LET radiation was carried out using BC3F1 male mice. They were treated with whole-body irradiation with five equal daily fractions of fission neutrons to yield cumulative doses of 0.025, 0.05, 0.10, 0.17, 0.25, 0.36, 0.535 and 0.71 Gy at the RSV-TAPIRO reactor (mean neutron energy 0.4 MeV, in terms of kerma, y D = 51.5 keV/microns, dose rate 0.004 Gy/min) and were followed for their entire life span. The statistical method described by Peto et al. (IARC Monograph, Suppl. 2, 1980) to establish the existence of a carcinogenic effect in long-term animal experiments was applied to the data sets. This analysis was done for myeloid leukemia and for the presence of selected solid tumors. Myeloid leukemia was absent in the control group and was rarely found in irradiated animals. However, a positive significant trend was found in the dose ranges 0-0.17 Gy and higher. Epithelial tumors were induced at doses from 0.17 Gy on. Tumor occurrence was evaluated further as final incidences with age adjustment for the differences in mortality rates. Survival and incidence data for selected classes of tumors after 0.17, 0.36 and 0.71 Gy were compared with those from a previous experiment at corresponding doses given acutely (dose rate between 0.05 and 0.25 Gy/min). This indicated no marked overall influence of the time regimen of neutron irradiation on survival and tumor induction.