JULIÁNNA SZAKÁCS*, MARIANA TILINCĂ**, M. MĂRUŞTERI***, I. NICOLAESCU*
*Department of Biophysics, Biotechnology, Medical and Pharmaceutical Physics, University of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, Târgu Mureş, Romania
**Department of Cellular and Moleculare Biology, University of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, Târgu Mureş, Romania
***Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, University of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, Târgu Mureş, Romania
Abstract. A study of Hodgkin’s disease incidence and the influence of accidental ionizing radiation occurred after the nuclear explosion in Chernobyl in 1986 on Mureş County population was performed. We studied the annual incidence of Hodgkin’s disease in the Mureş County between 1983–2002, according to gender, age, and origin. This study is a cohort type, with ecological preponderance. In Mureş County, the incidence of Hodgkin’s disease showed statistically significant increases only during the first post-accident period. The results of our study do not indicate a statistically significant association between risk factor (accidental ionizing radiation) and disease (Hodgkin’s lymphoma), thus exposure to radiation could not be proved as an etiological factor for this malignancy so far.
Key words: ionizing radiation, Hodgkin’s disease, statistical analysis.