Studies on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors, and their use in estimating radiation risks.

Epidemiological studies of the survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been conducted over many years. These studies have examined, inter alia, mortality and cancer incidence among the survivors. This paper summarises the form of the studies undertaken, outlines the main findings and describes how these results can be used in deriving estimates of radiation risks. In doing so, some areas of uncertainty and open issues are highlighted, such as the magnitude of lifetime cancer risks and the evidence for raised risks of non-cancer diseases at low doses. Continued follow-up of the survivors will be important in shedding further light on these issues.