22. Thyroid carcinoma incidence in children (0–18) in post-chernobyl belarus

Background The increased incidence of paediatric thyroid carcinoma has been registering in Belarus since 1990. Case-control study proved the connection of this phenomenon to the effects of radioiodine that was released because of the large-scale techno-genic Chernobyl accident. The top incidence was registered in 1994 when age-standardised incidence rate (ASR, 0–14, world standard) was 3.32 per 100 000 in Belarus and 10.5 per 100 000 in the Gomel region, following which a sharp decrease occurred. However, even in more recent times (2005–2008) thyroid carcinoma occurs in patients under 18 in Belarus at an incidence rate (IR) of 1.29 per 100 000. Aims To present incidence data on paediatric thyroid cancer in the late post-Chernobyl period. Methods IR and ASR were calculated per 100 000 of childhood population (0-14 and 0-18 years old). Results and Conclusions IR (0-14, per 100 000) was 2.08 in 1989-1993, 3.39 in 1994-1998, 1.29 in 1999-2003 and 0.67 in 2004-2008. ASR (0-18, per 100 000) since year 2000 were as follows: 2.88 in 2000,2.57 in 2001,2.07 in 2002, 1.83 in 2003,1.06 in 2004, 1.01 in 2005, 0.75 in 2006, 0.94 in 2007, 1.2 in 2008, 1.11 in 2009. Thus, paediatric thyroid cancer rates are still quite high in Belarus even among unexposed children. Future investigations are to be done to determine whether this is in part a reflection of continued post-Chernobyl surveillance.