Ionizing radiation can influence on cells of organisms through the chain of electric, physico-chemical, chemical and biological effects leading to different damages, genetic abnomalities and death. On 26 April 1986 the explosion of atomic reactor of the fourth power unit of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station happened, having thrown into the atmosphere nearly 50 tons of nuclear fuel with the activity of 15-20 thousands of rentgen per hour. This disaster had detrimental outcome for people living in Ukraine and other countries, resulted to increase of morbidity and mortality from different diseases, especially oncological.
Analysis of data of National and regional cancer registries, statistical reports on the work done by the regional center and district hospitals of Cherkassy region on oncological patients in 1985, 2015 yy.
Number of new breast cancer (BC) cases in 1985 in Cherkassy region was 335 (man – 1, women – 334), in 2015 – 520 ( men – 4, women – 516). The number of BC cases increased by 35,6% ( by 25% in men, by 35,3% in women) in 2015 in comparison to 1985. Crude incidence rate per 100000 of population in 1985 was 21,87 ( men – 0,06, women – 21,8), in 2015- 43,8 ( men – 0,7, women – 80,2). So this rate increased by 49,9%. The number of cases of BC in women under 29 years old in 1985 was 2, in 2015 – 9 ( increased in 4,5 times), showing tendency to rise of incidence of this disease at a young age. Number of deaths from BC in 1985 was 164, in 2015 – 210, so this index increased by 22%. In 1985 stage distribution of new BC cases (according to TNM) was: I, II – 56,2%; III – 31,6%, IV – 12,2%. In 2015 this ratio was: I, II – 74,5%, III – 13,6%, IV – 11,3%. The number of BC cases detected during the preventive examination in 1985 was 25%, in 2015 – 42,8%. The percentage of morphologically verified BC in 1985 was 84,2%, in 2015 – 90,4%.
Chernobyl disaster and subsequent spread and influence of radiation led to increase of oncological diseases in Ukraine, including breast cancer. Despite the new advances in medicine the morbidity of BC in Cherkassy region continues to grow and Chornobyl disaster had a strong impact on this fact.
Cherkassy Regional Oncology Center.
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The author has declared no conflicts of interest.