© 2004 European Society for Medical Oncology
Original Article |
Thyroid disease in northern Italian children born around the time of the Chernobyl nuclear accident
1 Head & Neck Surgery, 2 Nuclear Medicine, 3 Medical Physics, 6 Imaging Division, 7 Scientific Director's Office, European Institute of Oncology, Milan; 4 Local Health Unit 2, Milan; 5 Local Health Unit 76, Milan, Italy
* Correspondence to: Dr F. Chiesa, Head & Neck Division, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141 Milan, Italy. Tel: +39-02-57489490; Fax: +39-02-57489491; Email: fausto.chiesa{at}ieo.it
Background: The Chernobyl nuclear accident of 1986 caused a dramatic increase in the incidence of thyroid cancers in exposed children in Belarus. Airborne radioactivity from the reactor spread over northern Italy, where rainout gave rise to low levels of radioactivity at ground level.
Patients and methods: As the latency between exposure to ionising radiation and development of thyroid cancer is thought to be about 10 years, in 1996/1997 all children born in 1985 and 1986 and attending school in an area of Milan, Italy were examined for thyroid nodules. A total of 3949 children were examined by two physicians blinded to the examination and diagnosis of the other. The children were to be reassessed in 2001/2002.
Results: In total, 1% had palpable nodules. The nodule diagnoses were: Hurtle cell adenoma (one), thyroglossal duct cyst (one), thyroid cyst (four) and thyroiditis (four). The prevalence of thyroid disease in the cohort was indistinguishable from that of populations not exposed to radioactive pollution. Only 10 children re-presented for examination 5 years later; all were negative. The direct costs of the study were estimated at 
21 200.
Conclusion: The high cost of the study in relation to reassuring lack of increase in thyroid nodule prevalence suggests that further studies are not justified.
Key words: Chernobyl accident, childhood, ionising radiation, screening, thyroid disease
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