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Radiation exposure as a possible etiologic factor in hairy cell leukemia (leukemic reticuloendotheliosis)
Author(s) -
Stewart David J.,
Keating Michael J.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19801001)46:7<1577::aid-cncr2820460714>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - medicine , hairy cell leukemia , leukemia , hairy cell , radiation exposure , occupational exposure , cancer research , incidence (geometry) , dermatology , oncology , nuclear medicine , environmental health , physics , optics
The frequency of prior occupational, accidental, or therapeutic radiation exposure was significantly higher for hairy cell leukemia patients than for a control group of solid tumor patients (8/23 vs. 4/56, P < 0.01). Hairy cell leukemia patients were also more frequently involved in occupations at high risk of radiation exposure such as chemist, engineer, physicist, and health care facility worker (7/23 vs. 4/56, P < 0.01). The observation that the incidence of thyroid disorders among hairy cell leukemia patients was also unusually high (5/23 vs. 2/56, P < 0.05) was interpreted as further indirect evidence of excessive radiation exposure. It appears that radiation exposure may be an important contributing factor in the development of some case of hairy cell leukemia.