Endocrine Abstracts

Research objective: After the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident, there was a dramatically increase in thyroid cancer incidence in children and adolescents in Belarus, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. The increasing incidence of thyroid cancer in last 10 years not only in former Soviet Union but also in the United States, is real medical problem. ‘Project Chernobyl’ has been established in New-York for early diagnostics of radio induced thyroid cancer among people that were irradiated during Chernobyl accident and later emigrated in USA.

The study was aimed at the investigation of prevalence of thyroid diseases by screening in people who have emigrated in USA after Chernobyl accident.

Patients and Methods: A two cohorts of people (total 6870 subjects are living now in New-York area) why have emigrated from former Soviet Union underwent ultrasonography screening of thyroid and examination of thyroid function on the basis of TSH, FT4, Ab-TPO, Ab-Tg levels in serum. First cohort consisted of 2550 subjects (mean age 59±7), exposed to fallout from Chernobyl. Second cohort consisted of 4320 subjects (mean age 53±2) that have not been exposed to the radiation.

Results: Prevalence of nodular goiter was more higher in irradiated subjects, comparing to the not-irradiated-cohort (43.0 vs 17.5%). Thyroid cancer (8.6 vs 4.0%) and different type of thyroid dysfunction (19.0 vs 6.0%) are two times more common among of the subjects, exposed to the radiation. The patients from the cohort of the radiation exposed people have required more aggressive type of treatment. The frequency of the total thyroidectomy was more higher (95 vs 73%) in the cohort of the patients, exposed to radiation in the result of the Chernobyl accident.

Conclusions: Significantly higher frequency of serious thyroid disorders among the people exposed to radiation during Chernobyl accident and emigrated in USA was diagnosed by screening investigation.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.