ABSTRACT
Data on the long-term adverse health effects of high doses of ionizing radiation come primarily from the studies on the populations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki who survived atomic bombing, and survivors of cancer treatment involving radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. The studies on radiation-exposed populations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki revealed increased risk of cancer and noncancerous diseases. The noncancerous diseases included stroke and heart diseases, respiratory diseases, digestive disorders, and myelodysplastic syndromes.1-8 In addition, the incidence of cancer and mortality was high in these populations.9-11 The incidence of second primary cancer and noncancerous diseases is also high among survivors of childhood cancer. Noncancerous diseases include endocrine morbidity, growth hormone deœciency, sexual dysfunction, bone growth,12 increased mortality, kidney complications,13 cognitive dysfunction,14 gastrointestinal complications,15 auditory disorders,16 early aging,17 and increased risk of preterm delivery and low-birth-weight baby, ovarian failure, premature menopause and infertility among female survivors of childhood cancer,18-20 diabetes mellitus,21 and nonmalignant thyroid diseases.22 In addition, the risk of second cancer is high in these populations.23-30 Additional information on the incidence of neoplasms and nonneoplastic diseases among the radiation-exposed populations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and cancer survivors was described in Chapter 4.
