Some Delayed Effects of Atom-Bomb Radiations in Mice

62 pages plus illustrations. Charts and Tables. Stamps and ink notations on the front cover. Cancer Research was the Official Organ of the American Association for Cancer Research, Inc. Arthur Canfield Upton (February 27, 1923 — February 14, 2015) was an American pathologist and radiation biologist. He was former director of the National Cancer Institute and known for his research in radiation biology of cancer. From 1951 to 1954, Upton worked as a pathologist at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He was the Chief of the Pathology-Physiology Section of the Biology Division of the ORNL from 1954 to 1969. Afterwards, Upton was professor of pathology at Stony Brook University from 1969 to 1977. He was the dean of the School of Basic Health Sciences at Stony Brook University from 1970 to 1975. Between 1965 and 1966, he was the president of the Radiation Research Society. In 1977, President Carter appointed Upton as the director of the National Cancer Institute, who stayed until 1980. He moved to New York University School of Medicine in 1980 and became the Director of the Institute of Environmental Medicine from 1980 to 1992. He moved to University of New Mexico and became a clinical professor of pathology and radiology from 1992 to 1995. A leader who helped to transform cancer research to a true scientific endeavor was Jacob Furth. In a career of fifty-seven years he contributed to diverse fields of cancer biology and experimental pathology. He was responsible for advances in immunology, leukemia and radiation, and viral carcinogenesis. The relative biological effectiveness of atomic-bomb radiations was compared with that of the same dose of neutrons and gamma rays absorbed at conventional dose rates. Approximately 5000 mice were exposed to graded amounts of atomic-bomb radiation following placement at various distances from the hypocenter of an atomic explosion. The mice were observed throughout their lives for delayed somatic effects such as changes in vigor, longevity, and cause of death. Results are tabulated and illustrated with 91 photographs. The effects observed in this study did not differ from those observed following exposure to radiations delivered at a high intensity from conventional laboratory sources. The results of this experiment demonstrate that instaneous exposure to penetrating radiations sets in motion a complex series of changes culminating in premature onset of diseases of natural senescence and life shortening. 180 references. Before this experiments,information about the biological effects of atomic bomb radiation was fragmentary, obtained from earlier nuclear tests and from records of Japanese bomb victims. This experiment was part of a large-scale program designed to extend information about the effects of atomic bomb radiation on a variety of mammals and other living organisms. Foremost were two questions: would atomic bomb radiations cause injuries qualitatively different from those of conventional radiations, and would they differ from conventional radiations in relative biological effectiveness? This experiment was part of Operations Greenhouse. Reprinted for private circulation from Cancer Research, Vol. 20, No. 8 (Part 2), pp. 1-62, September 1960.…