Pediatric malignancies in Bursa, Turkey

Abstract

Turkey is among the countries affected by ionizing radiation from the Chernobyl accident of April 26, 1986. The northern part of Turkey, where the city of Bursa is located, is presumed to be more influenced by the nuclear catastrophe. The radioactive elements in the atmosphere have been examined at various intervals after May 1, 1986 and barium-140 and lanthanum-140, fission agents of uranium-235, have been found in the atmosphere. Their exact concentration could not be measured. The aim of this report is to review the pediatric malignancies diagnosed in our institution between 1986 and 1995, with a view on any significant increase in the number of these cases. The patients were divided into three groups: acute leukemia patients (101 cases), lymphomas (44 cases), and solid tumors (31 cases). All three groups showed a tendency to increase after 1986; the increase in leukemia cases between 1986 and 1995 was found to be significantly higher (p < 0.001) when compared with the years before 1986. The increase in lymphoma and solid tumor cases after 1986 was not found to be significant (p > 0.05). We cannot rule out environmental causes other than the effects of the Chernobyl accident, and we feel that more intense epidemiological studies should be carried out on this subject in other areas of Turkey.