[Radiation-induced cancer]

Publications about approximately two million irradiated people and their death after irradiation, were reviewed. This review considers only statistically important publications. In 140,000 people exposed to environmental radiation in zones of high background and in 350,000 occupationally exposed within recommended annual doses, no excess cancer was detected. In 1,504,000 people prenatally exposed to low doses (about 1cGY) due to diagnostic radiological examinations, the rate of cancer death before 15 years of age, was similar to unexposed populations. In 195,000 exposed to high radiotherapeutic doses, a variable increase in the incidence of cancer was detected. In 825,000 people that received internal and external irradiation in Chernobyl, no increase in cancer deaths was detected until 1991. In 1993, an increased incidence of thyroid gland carcinoma was preliminarily reported. Finally, in 100,000 people irradiated at Hiroshima and Nagasaki an excess leukemia rate was found in the group that received doses over 200 cGy.