Studies of long-term survivors of cancer treated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy have led to important insights into carcinogenesis. In collaboration with the Radiation Epidemiology Branch, we have continued a study of survivors of retinoblastoma who have developed melanoma. Information on treatment for the retinoblastoma is already available, and we have recently obtained sun, tobacco, and alcohol exposure information for the entire cohort. Mortality analyses have indicated that there is a significant excess of lung cancer following heritable retinoblastoma, without any apparent excess smoking. The age of onset is younger than that reported in SEER, with a disproportionate percentage of small cell carcinoma, based on few numbers. No relationship with radiation was found. We have continued the field work for the study of radiation-related neural tumors in a cohort of individuals who received head and neck irradiation in childhood. We plan to add up to 40 additional cohort members to the study who have developed head and neck neural tumors.
