Richardson et al. Respond to 'missing Doses in the Life Span Study'

摘要

The Life Span Study of Japanese atomic bomb survivors is a landmark cohort study and serves as a quantitative basis for radiation protection worldwide. In the Life Span Study, proximity to ground zero was a determinant of dose level and whether the dose was missing. Ten percent of cohort members who were within 3 km of ground zero are missing a dose; 0% of cohort members who were more than 3 km from ground zero are missing a dose. In our article in this issue of the Journal (1), we showed that a missing dose is associated not only with proximity to ground zero but also with all-cancer and leukemia mortality, particularly during the first years of follow-up.