Moreover,

the incidence of death due to disease was less than expected whereas

traumatic

deaths

(e.g.,

accident,

war,

crime)

were

greater.

The NAS

found no

evidence of excess deaths attributable to radiation exposure.
The National Academy of Sciences also convened a panel in May 1981 to
investigate the incidence of multiple myeloma among the occupation forces of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
DNA and veterans groups provided the Academy with the
names

of

all

known

participants

who

reportedly

had

multiple

myeloma.

NAS

concluded that the reported incidence of nine verified cases of multiple myeloma
among U.S. veterans of the occupation forces stationed at or near Hiroshima and
Nagasaki is less than the incidence in the general population.
The expected
incidence in a group of this size would be 18.
DNA and the VA are supporting an additional NAS study,

initiated in 1988.

The

study is examining the mortality of the some 42,000 participants at Operation
CROSSROADS, as well as that of a control group of a like number of unexposed
personnel serving at the same time and in similar duties.
The use of a control

group will ensure that the mortality of CROSSROADS participants is compared to
that of personnel whose basic activities and initial level of health were
Similar.

The study should be completed in about four years.

The VA has made it possible for personnel who served on active duty and have
doses in excess of 5 rem to be provided a complete medical examination to assess

their health status.

About 1700 DoD personnel

(less than one percent)

have such

doses, both recorded and calculated, and virtually all have been contacted by
DNA and offered this service.
Only those who could not be located after

extensive efforts have not been so notified.
About one-third of the
participants have been given physical examinations at VA facilities.
The
incidence of cancer in this group has been found to be less than the national
average.
In addition, the VA provides medical examinations, hospital and
nursing home care, and limited outpatient services for veterans with radiogenic
conditions,

in accordance with Public Law 97-72.

In the aggregate, the findings of health studies are consistent with what would
be expected for unexposed populations.
This is not surprising because of the
generally low radiation doses received by test participants.
National and
international authorities have addressed in detail the health risks caused by
radiation and have recommended dose limits for radiation workers.
It has been
established that adverse health effects can result from highdoses of ionizing
radiation
(e.g.,
100 rem or more), but it is not known whether there are
deleterious health effects from lowdoses of such radiation (e.g., 5 rem).
All

of the studies have concluded that the doses received by most nuclear test
participants are considerably less than these doses and considerably less than
lifetime total doses from natural environmental radiation.
According to the National Cancer Institute,
in a population of 10,000
individuals who received no known nuclear test or occupational radiation
exposure, 1600 are normally expected to die of cancer.
According to the
National Academy of Sciences Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing
Radiation (BEIR), if cancer mortality from high-dose cases can be extrapolated
to low levels of radiation, then a dose of about one rem of whole body gamma
radiation to the same 10,000 individuals would add only gone additional cancer
death.
This is considered to be acceptable by current Federal occupational
radiation exposure guidelines, and is less than many other occupational risks in

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