[Oncoepidemiologic situation in the Kaluga region of the Russian Federation ten years after the Chernobyl accident].

Cancer morbidity and mortality in radionuclide-contaminated areas of Kaluga Region have been investigated. The study was mainly concerned with the extent of radiation pollution influence on the present-day cancer morbidity and mortality rates. The correlations between the latter factors, on the one hand, and relevant population risks, on the other, have been analysed. It was found that the present-day neoplasm morbidity rates recorded in Chernobyl-stricken areas are chiefly accounted for by a combination of factors which were there before the disaster. The trends of morbidity and mortality from neoplasms of the respiratory tract in females are still unfavorable. There is still no statistical verification of the radiation effect on cancer morbidity except that of thyroid cancer in women in contaminated areas. The morbidity and lethality rates in these areas basically conform to the general trends. The findings are in conformity with those reported worldwide on radiation-related cancer induction latency and biological effects observed in the inhabitants of contaminated regions.