Incidence of selected cancers in Semey (former Semipalatinsk) region, East Kazakhstan

Background Cancers represent the second most common cause of death in industrialized countries. Elevated incidence of various cancers has been reported from settings exposed to ionizing radiation. More than 450 nuclear tests were performed at the Semipalatinsk site during Soviet time, but the official data on health of the population were unreliable before breakup of the USSR. Even 20 years after the test site was closed, the data are still scarce and their validity has been questioned. The aim of this study …