Follow-up methodology and analysis of mortality and cancer incidence in the cohort of people in utero exposed to radiation as a result of radioactive contamination of environment and the Techa river

A unique cohort of 11574 people in utero exposed to radiation as a result of technological radioactive contamination of environment and the Techa River was established. The period of follow-up is 60 years. The article presents the criteria for entry into the cohort, demographic description of the cohort and first results of analysis of solid cancer and leukemia incidence (242 and 15 cases respectively), mortality from these diseases (136 and 15 cases respectively) and from all causes (2359 cases). Individual radiation doses, including organ doses, received a cohort member in utero and from external and internal sources accumulated for the whole postnatal period were reconstructed with the dosimetry system developed at the Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine. Average organ doses received in utero were 30 mGy to the red bone marrow and 4 mGy to soft tissues, average accumulated postnatal organ doses were 90mGy and 10 mGy to the red bone marrow and soft tissues respectively. The cohort has potential for further study of cancer development in people in utero exposed to radiation.