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International
Researchers United in Assisting Radiation Victims
The Chernobyl
nuclear power plant accident contaminated approximately 1/4 of the territory
of Belarus with radionuclides, exposing nearly 2.2 million people to
radiation. As a result, populations in the region surrounding Chernobyl
continue to be impacted by the catastrophe nearly 15 years after the
accident. The International Scientific and Technology Center is uniting
Belarusian Ministry of Health, and specialists in health, environment, and
information technologies with funding from sources within the United States
and the European Union. ISTC projects totaling nearly $1.1 million are now
addressing serious health issues related to radioactive contamination in
Belarus:
B-323 Image Processing for
Cytology
B-488 Early Radiation Data for
Chernobyl Accident
B-517 Remote Cancer
Diagnostics
B-522 Computer System for
Leukemia Therapy
B-550 Thyroid Pathologies in
Chernobyl Area
To quantify the
long-term risks of thyroid cancer due to radioiodine released in nuclear
accidents - to which children are especially susceptible - the US National
Cancer Institute is providing funding for Project #B-550, headed by the
Research Institute of Radiation Medicine and Endocrinology. The results will
be used to develop scientific procedure for long-term
radiation-epidemiological studies, providing reliable information on
radiation effects in a wide dose range regarding thyroid cancer and other
disorders. The scope of the project is vast, including screening visits of
nearly 12,000 children who were directly effected by Chernobyl radiation in
April 1986, with follow up medical observation for those showing signs of
thyroid pathology, and referrals to Belarus medical centers for treatment.
In addition to funding, the National Cancer Institute provides expert
assistance and consultation to their Belarus colleagues, joint publications,
and training for Belarus specialists in the United States.
With the sharp
increase in incidences of thyroid cancer, the medical community in Belarus
now must adapt new methods for fast, accurate diagnosis. Scientists on
Project #B-323, funded by the European Union, are creating computer
analyzers and software for image processing of thyroid samples. The
Institute of Engineering Cybernetics in Minsk is supporting the project. The
image processing system is demonstrating the power of information
technologies as expert system guide to physicians who now diagnose cancers
and decide a course of treatment. The complete system (a unit for
morphometric studies, patents for the modes of diagnosis, electronic atlas
of thyroid pathology, and software) is expected to find a large demand on
world markets, for its accuracy and efficiency in verifying cancer diagnoses
before surgery.
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