Studies of the Mortality of A-Bomb Survivors: 3. Description of the Sample and Mortality, 1950-1960

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Abstract
The sample of 99,393 persons for the Life-Span Study on late effects of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-bombs has been completed. The survivors and the members of the nonexposed component of the sample differ markedly with respect to history of foreign residence prior to the A-bombing, the nonexposed much more frequently reporting such residence. At the closer distances to the hypocenter shielding was, on the average, greater in Nagasaki than in Hiroshima. In consequence, burns and acute radiation injury were more prevalent in Hiroshima than in Nagasaki for survivors within 1000 meters. For the 3rd analysis, 8614 deaths were observed in the sample. The causes most frequently assigned to the deaths were vascular lesions of the central nervous system and malignant neoplasms. Nonexposed members of the sample had lower mortality ratios than did survivors at all distances. Mortality ratios for survivors within 1400 meters were higher than for survivors at greater distances for all causes, all natural causes, tuberculosis (Hiroshima males), leukemia, and other malignant neoplasms. Mortality ratios from all causes in those located within 1400 meters of the hypocenter were especially high in 1951-1952, and declined thereafter. Ratios for death from malignant neoplasms in the same group declined from 1951-1952 to 1957-1958, then increased in 1959-1960.