Why was childhood leukemia a special focus of the analysis?
The excess risk identified in the British study pertained to leukemia deaths among persons under the age of 25. Leukemia is one of the major cancers induced by high doses of radiation and may occur as soon as 2 years after exposure. Other cancers associated with high-dose radiation may not develop until 10 years after exposure. Studies have also suggested that children are more sensitive to the cancer-producing effects of radiation than adults. Children may spend more time in and around the home than parents, whose jobs may take them to other areas. They are also more likely to come in close contact with the soil, upon which radioactive releases may have been deposited following discharges from the facilities. • Why were cancer deaths (mortality) compared instead of the number of cancer cases that occurred (incidence)? Although data on cancer incidence (the number of newly diagnosed cases in a given period of time) could provide a more complete evaluation of the possible impact of livi
