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Title: The oncogenic action of ionizing radiation on rat skin: Progress report, February 1, 1988-January 31, 1989

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6731101

Progress is described in 3 general areas corresponding to the specific aims of the proposal, including DNA strand breaks in the epidermis as a function of radiation penetration; oncogene activation in radiation-induced rat skin cancers; and carcinogenesis in rat skin induced by the neon ion beam. Numerous experiments have established that DNA strand breaks per unit dose in the rat epidermis are reduced by about 60% when the radiation penetration is reduced from 1.0 mm to 0.2 mm. The activation of oncogenes in the radiation-induced rat skin cancers followed a pattern. Four highly malignant cancers exhibited activation of K-ras and c-myc oncogenes, while the remaining 8 cancers exhibited only one or the other of these 2 oncogenes. Of 5 squamous carcinomas, 4 showed K-ras activation and 1 showed c-myc activation. Approximately 200 rats were exposed to the neon ion beam at the Bevalac in Berkeley, CA. The carcinogenicity of energetic electrons (2.0 MeV) was determined in conjunction with the neon ion experiment. It is too early to evaluate tumor incidence in the neon ion experiment, but for electrons an unusually large excess of connective tissue tumors, fibromas and sarcomas, have been observed so far. 59 refs., 2 tabs.

Research Organization:
New York Univ., NY (USA). Dept. of Environmental Medicine
DOE Contract Number:
FG02-87ER60539
OSTI ID:
6731101
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/60539-5; ON: DE89001783; TRN: 88-035769
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English