Does a person’s age play a role in the risk from exposure?
Dr. Zahm: Studies have shown that there are windows of susceptibility. For example, women exposed to radiation below age 20 are at higher risk of radiation-associated breast cancer than those exposed at older ages. This finding came from studying women with scoliosis or tuberculosis who were monitored by X-ray or fluoroscopy, a procedure that involves radiation exposure. Thyroid cancer is another example. Studies of atomic bomb survivors in Japan and the population near the Chernobyl nuclear accident have shown that persons exposed as children are at higher increased risk of thyroid cancer later in life than persons exposed as adults. What can you learn by studying people in high-exposure areas? Dr. Winn: Studying people with high exposures, either in the United States or internationally, has led to important discoveries about cancer risk factors. These high-exposure areas have been extremely important for discovering cancer-causing agents in the environment and for understanding mecha
