| Abstract [eng] |
This research investigates the long-term effects of radioactive contamination from the Chernobyl disaster on cancer incidence and mortality in the Lithuanian population. It focuses on cleanup workers and the Lithuanian population aged 0-19 years at the time of the accident, analyzing the rates of oncological diseases and the causes of death, along with a dosimetric assessment of thyroid exposure. The study found that cleanup workers exposed to over 100 mSv had an increased risk of thyroid cancer, brain malignancies, and leukemia (excluding chronic lymphocytic leukemia). Younger responders and those with shorter exposure periods also faced a higher risk of thyroid cancer. Additionally, cleanup workers experienced increased mortality rates from various conditions, including cancer and circulatory system diseases, with those exposed to more than 100 mSv being at greater risk for hypertensive diseases. The reconstruction of region-specific individual and collective thyroid-absorbed doses in Lithuanian children and adolescents during the Chernobyl accident, using measurements of radionuclide activity taken shortly after the accident, has identified different areas of radioactive contamination in Lithuania. The areas of highest radioactive contamination have been found to have a higher risk of thyroid cancer in children. A systematic and comprehensive assessment of the causes of illness and death would ensure timely and targeted health care for individuals, avoiding excessive and unjustified anxiety. |
