RSH -- Table of Contents - Data 1.0

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References

"Low Level
Radiation Health Effects: Compiling the Data"

Revision 1
March 19, 1998
by Radiation, Science, and Health, Inc.,
Edited by J. Muckerheide

1.2.3
Medical

1.2.3.2
Medical Patients

Dr. Pollycove also reports (1996) that:

"In the Final Draft of UNSCEAR/Annex B submitted for approval in March 1994, paragraph 252 was deleted from publication of UNSCEAR 94 Annex B, including removal of Table 45 of the original article, and paragraph 257 was substituted, as follows:

Draft:

‘252. In a Canadian study, the mortality from breast cancer in a cohort of 31,710 women who had been examined by multiple fluoroscopy between 1930 and 1952, has been reported (Miller 1989). The observed rates of death in two groups, one in Nova Scotia and the rest in other provinces are shown in Table 45... In Nova Scotia, the women received larger doses to the breast (average 50 mGY per examination), the exposure being anterior/posterior. In other provinces, the exposure was posterior/anterior with resultant small doses to the breast (average 2 mGy per examination)... There was no significant increase in deaths from breast cancer among 7,500 women in the other provinces who were followed an average of about 23 years. In fact, the data on women who recieved breast doses between 0.10-0.19 Gy and 0.20-0.29 Gy showed a significant decrement in risk.’

It was replaced by:

‘257. The evidence for radiation-induced breast cancer is discussed in Annex A, "Epidemiological studies of radiation carcinogenesis". Although exposure to radiation at high doses and high dose rates is associated with excess breast cancer, the potential hazard from low-dose, fractionated exposures during early breast development has not been thoroughly evaluated. The failure to detect increased breast cancer in several large studies is surprising, and no satisfactory explanation is forthcoming. However, many of the women were over 35 years of age at exposure.’

And that UNSCEAR 1994, ANNEX A states:

" ‘105. Elevated risk of breast cancer following exposure has been demonstrated in several studies... including the tuberculosis fluorocopy studies in Nova Scotia and other Canadian provinces (Miller 1989) ...A number of studies have considered radiation exposure and breast cancer but provide little or no convincing evidence of an association: the contralateral breast studies in Denmark (Storm 1960) and the United States (Boice, et al 1992); the cervical cancer control study (Boice, et al 1989): the Isreali tinea capitis study (Modan 1989); and for women in the Swedish skin haemangioma study (First 1988).’

" ‘106. The failure to detect an increased breast cancer risk in the cervical cancer case-control study is somewhat surprising in view of the large number of cases and moderate doses (average 0.3 Gy).’

" ‘108. ..In the analysis carried out by the BEIR V Committee (BEIR V), it was suggested that a common relative risk model for the three cohorts fit the data better then did a common, time-dependent absolute risk model. In the same report, a similar conclusion was reached based on a comparison of breast cancer mortality in the life span study and the Canadian tuberculosis fluoroscopy study (Miller 1989). These results suggest that fractionation has little effect on breast cancer risk.’ "

[Editor’s Note: These statements clearly contradict, and misrepresent, the actual data.]

RSH > Documents > RSH Data Docs > 1.2 > 1.2.3 > 1.2.3.2 > Pollycove 96

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