Recent epidemiological results of thyroid cancer in the most radiated territory in Poland.

In this report the authors evaluate epidemiological evidence of thyroid cancer cases in a highly radiated territory in Poland--i.e. in the province of Opole after 1986. The analysis - based on logistic regression modelling of registered thyroid cancer and an ecological covariate (137Cs concentration)--shows differences in incidence in six distinguished radiation zones and two equal periods. The results of this study indicate a significant increase in incidence of thyroid cancer in 1995-2002 in males and in females comparing to the years 1987-1994. Moreover, a considerable rise of incidences has been noticed in the elevated isotope's concentration zones in females across the province in the analyzed periods. The data comprises all the thyroid cancer cases registered in Opole province in the years 1987-2002. The data originated from the Provincial Cancer Registry in Opole. The information on 137Cs concentrations was derived from the Polish Geological Institute in Warsaw. The computation was performed using WinBUGS software.