careful workup including bone marrow study has failed to reveal any conclusive evidence as to the nature of this blood dyscrasia. Review of all of [claimant's] records with regard to radiation exposure in his employment show no evidence of undue exposure at any time during his employment here. However, it is to be remembered that he was disabled by tuberculosis (resulting from his employment here} about !950 and that he sustained a fracture of the femur, with many X-rays made during ered a drug toxic to been treated with chloromycetin currently consid ore, consider the theref I, time. that at know bone marrow not result of the direct the be to e leukopenia while in government servic administer prior the on ed impos super ure expos radiation decedent's leukemia chloromycetin. Further, in my opinion, the exposure and his X-ray of years many his of effect nt represented thelate As previously ia. leukem c death directly celated to the lymphocyti here. Whether these could be considered to have any bearing | do not en 1959 and mentioned, it is also may opinion that the luekopenia betwe as an X-ray duties these to d relate 1962 and subsequent years is also al. hospit . . . the for cian techni The Bureau rejected the 1962 claim. The chief of radiology at the found that decedent's BEC’s Decision: In granting compensation the BEC as an X-ray technician yment emplo his by caused proximately its treatment during the course of his employment as an X-ray technician know. employing hospital recommended retirement and on April 6, 1962 claimant retired and then became a real estate salesman. He was admifted to a hospital in March 1969 primarily for incision and drainage of a right axillary abscess. Claimant died April 7, 1969. The cause of death was broncho-pneumonia secondary to aplastic anemia. A post examination confirmed a diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, aleukemic type with its complications. The widow filed a claim in 1969 alleging that decedent's death was related to lymphocytic leukemia caused by his employment as an X-ray technician prior to 1962. Accordingly, the Bureau made a further study of all medical records. Upon review of the records in the case, the Bureau’s Medical Director noted that {contrary to medical evidence submitted in 1962) decedent had been treated in 1958 with chtoromycetin which at that time was not known to be resposible for bone marrow depression and its leukemogenic effects; that the 1962 report of the hematotogist did indicate an infiltration in the bone marrow of mononuclearcells that resembled lymphocytes and he said: In my interpretation of this report this would represent the pre-leukemic phase of aleukemic lymphocyte leukemia....tn my opinion, therefore, the decedent’s demise was due directly to the leukemia and its complications particularly the infectious aspects of leukemia, including in this instance lobar pneumonia and feukemic infiltration of the lung. In addition, he noted the 1962 radiation expert’s report estimating claimant’s chances of developing leukemia were | in 10 and that X-ray exposure would be the cause of it. He further pointed out that he had found a causal relationship between a blood disease and job related radiation exposure in another BEC claim’ in which there was a similar factual situation. In finding a causal relationship between the claimant's blood disease and his exposure the Bureau's Medical Director said: In summary, this decedent had prior X-ray exposure while in the military service and has had significant exposure as a radiology technician for the... hospital with the initial effect of leukopenia resulting in his separation from government service in 1962. He has also " See BEC Case No. 39, Studies In Radiation Injury-Vol, VJ, in which the claimant was an X-ray technician and a co-worker in the same hospital. 136 leukopenia was related to the lymphocytic prior to February 2, 1962 and that his death was feukemia.