Aging in Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors. Speculations based upon the age-specific mortality of persons with malignant neoplasms.

Evaluation of 1639 malignant tumors from 3067 autopsies of members of the Extended Life Span Study Sample reveals that death occurs earlier in those persons most heavily irradiated ([unk]100 rad) compared with those persons who were less exposed. This effect is particularly pronounced in the younger age categories and among females and is not attributable to a specific neoplasm. Assuming that a positive correlation exists between aging and the age-specific mortality of persons with neoplasms, it is concluded that this response is consistent with other observations which suggest the presence of accelerated or precocious aging in the most heavily irradiated group of survivors.