Workshop report on atomic bomb dosimetry-RESIDUAL radiation exposure: Recent research and suggestions for future studies.

There is a need for accurate dosimetry for studies of health effects in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors because of the important role that these studies play in worldwide radiation protection standards. International experts have developed dosimetry systems, such as the Dosimetry System 2002 (DS02), which assess the initial radiation exposure to gamma rays and neutrons but only briefly consider the possibility of some minimal contribution to the total body dose by residual radiation exposure. In recognition of the need for an up-to-date review of the topic of residual radiation exposure in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, recently reported studies were reviewed at a technical session at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society in Sacramento, California, 22-26 July 2012. A one-day workshop was also held to provide time for detailed discussion of these newer studies and to evaluate their potential use in clarifying the residual radiation exposures to the atomic-bomb survivors at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Suggestions for possible future studies are also included in this workshop report

Workshop report on atomic bomb dosimetry: Review of dose related factors for the evaluation of exposures to residual radiation at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Groups of Japanese and American scientists, supported by international collaborators, have worked for many years to ensure the accuracy of the radiation dosimetry used in studies of health effects in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors. Reliable dosimetric models and systems are especially critical to epidemiologic studies of this population because of their importance in the development of worldwide radiation protection standards. While dosimetry systems, such as Dosimetry System 1986 (DS86) and Dosimetry System 2002 (DS02), have improved, the research groups that developed them were unable to propose or confirm an additional contribution by residual radiation to the survivor's total body dose. In recognition of the need for an up-to-date review of residual radiation exposures in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a half-day technical session was held for reports on newer studies at the 59th Annual HPS Meeting in 2014 in Baltimore, MD. A day-and-a-half workshop was also held to provide time for detailed discussion of the newer studies and to evaluate their potential use in clarifying the residual radiation exposure to atomic bomb survivors at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The process also involved a re-examination of very early surveys of radioisotope emissions from ground surfaces at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and early reports of health effects. New insights were reported on the potential contribution to residual radiation from neutron-activated radionuclides in the airburst's dust stem and pedestal and in unlofted soil, as well as from fission products and weapon debris from the nuclear cloud. However, disparate views remain concerning the actual residual radiation doses received by the atomic bomb survivors at different distances from the hypocenter. The workshop discussion indicated that measurements made using thermal luminescence and optically stimulated luminescence, like earlier measurements, especially in very thin layers of the samples, could be expanded to detect possible radiation exposures to beta particles and to determine their significance plus the extent of the various residual radiation areas at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Other suggestions for future residual radiation studies are included in this workshop report

Angiogenesis inhibitors in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer

A therapeutic plateau seems to have been reached with the standard treatment of cytotoxic chemotherapy alone for advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and new treatment options are urgently needed. Recent insight into the molecular biology of cancer has identified angiogenesis as one of the key biological processes. The major player in tumor angiogenesis is the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. VEGF is expressed in the majority of NSCLC and overexpression is associated with a poor prognosis. The VEGF pathway can be inhibited in two main ways: targeting VEGF directly or inhibiting the VEGF receptors. The development of angiogenesis inhibitors has shown great promise in the treatment of NSCLC. Bevacizumab, an anti-VEGF antibody, has been approved for the treatment of advanced NSCLC and other drugs are undergoing phase III investigation. However, a number of unresolved issues remain. In this review, we discuss the main angiogenesis inhibitors in development for the treatment of NSCLC focusing on the VEGF pathway