Estimation of life shortening resulting from radiogenic cancer per rem of absorbed dose

Appendix 6 of the US NRC Reactor Safety Study (Wash 1400) provides the basis for an estimate of risk of latent cancer death from radiation doses. With further computation an estimate can be made of the amount of life shortening from cancer to be expected from a dose equivalent of one rem. As an example, a table showing the calculation of expected deaths and years of life shortening from leukemia for various age groups and the total population is presented. Maximum expected latent cancer deaths per million man-rem and years of life shortening for various types of cancer in the general public and in occupationally exposed workers are also tabulated. The average loss of life expectancy per individual of the public is estimated as about 1.2 daYs per rem. An upper-bound estimate of the average life shortening of radiation workers per 5rem dose equivalent for all types of cancer was calculated as about 0.63 days per man-rem. (author)