Nuclear Weapons and Cancer

In August of 1945 the first and second nuclear weapons were used in warfare and devastated the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Following these events, scientist from the United States and Japan sought to study the acute effects of the bomb, and as a results of these studies, long term studies were approved by President Truman to study the “biological and medical effects of the atomic bomb on man.” Much of the medical knowledge we know about the in utero effects of radiation, heritable effects, and carcinogenesis come from these studies. It is seen that all cancer mortality is increased among atomic bomb survivors. There was an increase in the excessive risk in both incidence and mortality in leukemia however this was not seen in other hematologic malignancies such as lymphoma or multiple myeloma. Among solid cancers, the highest excessive risks were seen in bladder, female breast, and lungs, while relatively high risks were seen in other sites such as brain, ovary, thyroid, colon and esophagus. With the in-utero cohort, there was an observed intellectual disability in those exposed from 8–15 weeks and 16–25 weeks gestation, while small head size was seen in those exposed in the first and second trimester. In those born to survivors in close proximity to the atomic bombings, no excess risk of cancer or increased mortality from cancer was observed.