Studies on carcinogenic effect on the veterans of taking atmospheric nuclear weapons testing troops in Gansu, China

To explore the carcinogenic effect about the veterans of taking atmospheric nuclear weapons testing troops in Gansu, China.

During 2005-2014, all the veterans of taking atmospheric nuclear weapons testing troops were required to have a medical examination in Gansu, 3721 veterans were requested to make an occupational health examination. They were exposed the radioactive fallout particles from atmospheric nuclear burst (the total β radioactive substances and the        radio-nuclides: 3H, 90Sr, 137Cs, 239Pu, 99Mo 95Zr,97Zr,131I,133I,and 132Te etc.), they were away from testing sites 10-30 Km. Cancer patients were required to provide the in-patient case history and check pathologically report. For part of the veterans, the level of radiation dose was 100-150mSv. 

There were 40 primary tumor and 25 malignant tumors, incidence rate was 1075 /105 and 672/105; The cancer incidence of the transportation corps was 1253 /105, average age was 48.08 years, average service life was 6.08 years; The cancer incidence of the engineering corps is 762 /105,average age is 55.56 years, average service life was 5.48 years; The comparison of the cancer incidence was shown that the trend of escalation about the cancer incidence along with the servicing year increase; In order of the cancer incidence: gastric cancer, lung cancer, carcinoma of colon, esophagus cancer, rectum cancer and skin cancer, the incidence rate was remarkably increasing (p<0.01).

It was shown that the trend of escalation about the cancer incidence along with the servicing year increase, the first was neoplasms of digestive system; it may be due to the contaminated radioactive materials transferred through the digestive tract, hence leading to in vivo irradiation.