Current CHR exhumation program

The Center for Human Radiobiology exhumation program was reactivated in 1983 with efforts concentrated on the 24 unmeasured radium cases with probable or confirmed bone sarcomas. These cases have provided valuable data on the amounts of skeletal distribution of radium, ratios of 228Ra to 226Ra, and the early time development of skeletal changes due to radium. In one case a suspected bone sarcoma was ruled out by inspection of the skeletal remains. However, the total number exhumed falls far short of the estimate of 500 cases needed to complete the study of early dial painters and iatrogenic cases. The chief difficulty has been in obtaining permission to exhume from the surviving next-of-kin, who number 5 or more for some cases. 1 reference, 1 table