Leukemia and Thyroid Tumour in an East-Slovakian District after Chernobyl

The incidence of leukaemia and thyroid gland tumour in the 10 year period after the Chernobyl accident has been investigated in Roznava-district with γ86,000 inhabitants (east Slovakia, 1600 km SW of Chernobyl), and compared with a control period before the accident. A 2.1 times higher cumulative incidence of acute lymphatic leukaemia (median age: 11 y) and 1.3 times higher of thyroid gland tumour (median age: 47 y) was found compared with the same period before the accident. There was no increase in acute myeloid leukaemia, nor in chronic cases. A statistical analysis using the γ2-test, however, showed the results were not significant. Most of all the cases were in 1990-95 (45% of all cases), thyroid tumours were cumulating in 1992 and 1994 (53%). Although an association with an exposure to radiation was not proved, the results could support a hypothesis of a positive correlation even in such a relatively distant area of east Slovakia. (author)