Activity : Workshop   21st Century COE Workshop Clinical and epidemiological approaches to radiation-associated thyroid and breast cancers The 21st Century COE Workshop “Clinical and epidemiological approaches to radiation-associated thyroid and breast cancers” was held on March 9-10, 2004 at Pompe van Meerdervoort Hall, Nagasaki University School of Medicine. The number of participants amounted to more than 60, including 6 delegates from oversea universities and institutes which have joined or are to join the consortium and domestic researchers inside and outside the university, and the workshop was led to success. The workshop was commenced with the opening address by Dr. Masao Tomonaga, Project Leader, professor of hematology at Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The workshop aimed to overcome the difficulties in elucidating the effects of low-dose or low dose-rate radiation exposure in human by cooperation of epidemiologists, pathologists, molecular biologists and clinical researchers. Scientists from theses research fields presented a total of 13 papers at the workshop. On the last day of the workshop, the summary of the meeting drafted by Dr. Shunichi Yamashita, professor of molecular medicine and Dr. Yoshisada Shibata, professor of radiation epidemiology at Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, was discussed and the workshop was closed with all participants’ approval of the revised summary of the workshop. The program of the workshop was as follows. Program Venue: Pompe van Meerdervoort Hall Nagasaki University School of Medicine Day 1 (9 March) Opening   10:00-10:10 Welcome address   Masao Tomonaga, COE Program Leader, Nagasaki University 10:10-10:30 Scope of the workshop   Yoshisada Shibata, COE Program Leader, Nagasaki University   Session 1 Moderator: Masahiro Nakashima, Nagasaki University 10:30-11:15 Radiation effects on solid cancer incidence in the atomic bomb survibors: An update   Dale L. Preston, Radiation Effects Research Foundation 11:15-11:45 Thyroid cancer in Russia after the Chernobyl accident: outcome of large-scale radiation-epidemiological studies of children in Bryansk oblast   Victor K. Ivanov, Medical Radiological Research Center, RAMS, Russia   Group photo, Lunch 11:45-13:00     Session 2 Moderator: Akira Ohtsuru, Nagasaki University 13:00-13:45 Breast cancer following radiation therapy   Robert C. F. Leonard, South West Wales Cancer Institute, UK 13:45-14:15 Thyroid cancer in Ukraine after the Chernobyl disaster   Mykola D. Tronko, Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, AMSU, Ukraine 14:15-14:45 Current situation of Chernobyl Tissue Bank-related research project   Shunichi Yamashita, Project Leader, Nagasaki University   Coffee break 14:45-15:00     Session 3 Moderator: Hiroyuki Namba, Nagasaki University 15:00-15:30 Molecular mechanism of susceptibility to radiation-induced mouse thymic lymphomas   Ryo Kominami, Niigata University 15:30-15:50 Molecular peculiarities of radiation-induced and sporadic thyroid cancers   Vladimir A. Saenko, Nagasaki University 15:50-16:10 Molecular mechanism of Taxol action on thyroid cancer cells   Vladimir M. Pushkarov, Nagasaki University 16:10-16:40 Regulation of neuropeptides expression in thymus in patients with thyroid diseases   Vasili V. Roudenok, Belarusian State Medical University, Belarus 16:40-17:10 Non-cancer thyroid diseases in contaminated areas of Russia after the Chernobyl accident   Sergey Chekin, Medical Radiological Research Center, RAMS, Russia   Reception 18:30-   Day 2 (10 March) Session 4 Moderator: Yoshisada Shibata, Nagasaki University 10:00 10:20 Medical relief for people affected by the Chernobyl accident in their childhood through the development and implement of Health Telematics   Noboru Takamura, Nagasaki University 10:20-10:50 An epidemiological investigation on the reproductive health of women who evacuated from 30-km zone   Nataliya Korol, Research Center for Radiation Medicine, AMSU, Ukraine 1050-11:20 Breast cancer in Belarus before and after the Chernobyl accident   Semyon M. Polyakov, Belarusian Center for Medical Tecnologies, Computer Systems, Administration, and Economics of Public Health, Belarus 11:20-12:00 Discussion: Summary of available evidences   Lunch 12:00-13:30     Session 5 Moderators: Shunichi Yamashita and Yoshisada Shibata, Nagasaki University 13:30-15:30 Discussion: Future collaborative studies   Coffee break 15:30-15:45     Session 6 Moderators: Shunichi Yamashita and Yoshisada Shibata, Nagasaki University 15:45-17:00 Summary: Review of the meeting results and future actions   Closing remarks Shunichi Yamashita, Nagasaki University