Childhood leukemia in Belarus before and after the Chernobyl accident: continued follow-up

Abstract 

Earlier assessments led to the conclusion that due to the added radiation after the Chernobyl accident, childhood leukemia in Belarus was not recognisably increased in the years 1987–1994 compared to the years 1982–1986, i.e. the period before the accident. The present paper gives the data of the continued follow-up (1995–1998) which was conducted by the Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Minsk. In line with the earlier observations no increase has been identified. The incidence rates have been compared to the data of the newly established Belarussian Childhood Cancer Registry and a tentative explanation is given for apparent differences between the rates from our follow-up and the data reported earlier by the Belarussian Childhood Cancer Registry.