VZCZCXRO0709
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHKO #1031/01 0680924
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 090924Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1449
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 0157
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 9554
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 2632
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 3657
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 1119
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 001031 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/IHA COMELLA 
DEPT FOR EAP/J 
DOE/HSS PASS TO JOE WEISS, NICHOLAS CARLSON, JANE NAKANO 
HHS PASS TO CDC 
HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER, BHAT AND ELVANDER 
DEPT PASS TO AID/GH/HIDN DENNIS CARROLL 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KSTH PREL SOCI ENRG PARM JA
SUBJECT: RERF CONTINUES VALUABLE RADIATION RESEARCH DESPITE BUDGET 
CUTS 
 
TOKYO 00001031  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: The Radiation Effects Research Foundation's 
Scientific Council meeting on March 5 and 6 in Hiroshima underscored 
the importance of continuing research on long-term health effects on 
atomic bomb survivors.  Multi-year studies involving voluntary 
participation of atomic bomb survivors and their children are 
leading to new understanding of the long-term effects of radiation 
exposure.  Despite current budgetary pressures and aging facilities, 
this longstanding U.S.-Japan collaborative research effort continues 
to be of unique value to the global health community and our 
bilateral relationship. End summary. 
 
Background 
----------- 
¶2. (U) The Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) began in 
1946 as the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC), established by 
the Truman Administration to study the long-term health effects of 
radiation among the atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 
 Initially funded by the USG, official Japanese participation began 
in 1948.  In 1975, the ABCC was reorganized as the RERF, a 
non-profit Japanese foundation that receives funding from Japan's 
Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) and the U.S. 
Department of Energy (DOE). The U.S. National Academy of Sciences 
serves as the project contractor for DOE. RERF maintains facilities 
in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 
 
Meeting Highlights Long-Term Radiation Studies 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶3.  (SBU) On March 5-6, RERF leadership met in Hiroshima with 
members of their Scientific Council, a group of leading U.S. and 
Japanese medical researchers in several related fields, to review 
research efforts and future plans.  Among the reports presented were 
updates on long-term clinical and genetic studies of atomic bomb 
survivors and their children. These studies rely entirely on the 
voluntary cooperation of atomic bomb survivors and their children 
and are driven in large measure by concern for their health. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Adult Health Study (AHS) began in 1958 and tracks 
cancer and non-cancer prevalence in a sample population of atomic 
bomb survivors, including those who were in utero at the time of the 
bombing.  While 60% of atomic bomb survivors are no longer living, 
RERF is expanding research on those who were less than 10 years old 
at the time of the bombing. There is evidence that this younger 
cohort is of highest risk for disease caused by exposure to 
radiation.  As this younger cohort enters their 70s and 80s in the 
coming decades, RERF plans to continue gathering data with which to 
test this hypothesis. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) RERF's F1 Clinical Study is intended to assess the 
possible health effects among children of atomic bomb survivors. 
Begun in 2000, it has included a series of mail surveys and clinical 
studies to gather data and biological samples from nearly 12,000 men 
and women who were born after spring 1946 and whose parents survived 
the August 1945 atomic bombings. Contrary to previously-held 
hypotheses, data analysis from this study so far suggests little 
evidence for increased risk of cancer or non-cancer diseases for the 
children of atomic bomb survivors, even for those whose parents 
received relatively high doses of radiation.  However, RERF 
emphasized that these results should be interpreted carefully and 
should not be considered as definitive.  Given that the mean age of 
participants is only 46, the group has yet to enter their years of 
highest disease incidence.  Moreover, a significant percentage was 
found to have hypertension and/or hypercholesterolemia, as defined 
by the study, which may indicate future risks of non-cancer disease. 
 RERF underscored the need to continue to track this population over 
the next decades for a more complete analysis. 
 
¶6.  (U) For more details on RERF's research, please refer to the 
RERF website at http://www.rerf.or.jp/index.html. 
 
GOJ Budget Cuts Continue to Sting 
--------------------------------- 
¶7.  (SBU) Although research efforts were the focus of the meeting, 
RERF leadership raised concerns that GOJ budget cuts and employment 
rules are hindering their ability to upgrade their Hiroshima 
facilities and attract qualified post-doctoral researchers and 
retain senior department chiefs.  GOJ budget cuts have prompted MHLW 
 
TOKYO 00001031  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
to mandate that RERF reduce their payroll by six employees per year 
for the next four years.  The MHLW representative's comments during 
the meeting reinforced the feeling that the GOJ will remain hawkish 
on the RERF budget.  RERF employs roughly 260 persons, including 43 
scientific professionals at its facilities in Hiroshima and 
Nagasaki. Of the RERF's FY2005 budget of 3.7 billion yen, or 
approximately $32 million, MHLW contributed $18 million and DOE 
contributed $14 million. 
 
Senior Panel to Review Future Plans 
----------------------------------- 
¶8.  (SBU)  To help chart RERF's course for the next 20 years, a 
separate, independent Senior Review Panel, composed equally of U.S. 
and Japanese scientists, is reviewing future research plans and 
organizational issues and will make recommendations to the U.S. and 
Japanese governments.  These will include recommendations on 
addressing RERF's outdated physical facilities in Hiroshima.  The 
Panel first met in December 2006, and plans to convene again on May 
1-2. A final report on their recommendations will be submitted to 
both governments by November 2007. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) At the March 5-6 meeting, RERF announced future research 
plans that include determining lifetime cancer risks for the younger 
cohort of atomic bomb survivors, those in utero at the time of the 
bombings, and the children of survivors.  RERF also plans to expand 
research of radiation effects on the risk of non-cancer diseases, 
such as cardiovascular diseases, on the above groups.  The expanding 
sample collection and statistical dataset will allow for more 
powerful analyses.  RERF also plans to strengthen their contribution 
to international radiation risk assessment efforts. 
 
Scientific Council Highlights RERF's Unique Value 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
¶10.  (SBU) There was broad agreement among the members of the 
Scientific Council that RERF's research on atomic bomb survivors is 
of unique value to the global scientific and medical community. 
Most immediately, participants in RERF's clinical studies benefit 
from increased health monitoring and information about future health 
risks.  Japan's broader public health community has also seen 
benefits: RERF's AHS database is being adopted as the standard 
cancer registry database in a growing number of Japan's prefectures. 
 Globally, RERF's continuing research can help governments and 
medical science to better evaluate the long-term risks to workers 
exposed to radiation at various doses, and can provide valuable 
insights for responding to radiation disasters.  RERF's growing 
collection of thousands of biological samples is unique and can be 
preserved to enhance future scientific research efforts. 
 
Continued USG Support for RERF Pays Many Dividends 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
¶11.  (SBU) Comment: USG funding of RERF continues to support 
high-level scientific exchange between the U.S. and Japan across the 
disciplines of radiological biology, genetics, biostatistics, and 
epidemiology.  As a prominent U.S.-Japan institution that actively 
engages thousands of Japanese affected by the atomic bombings, RERF 
serves as a powerful example of bilateral cooperation and the 
strength our ties since the end of the Second World War. End 
Comment. 
 
¶12.  (U) USG/GOJ participants at the March 5-6 RERF Scientific 
Council Meeting: 
 
U.S. Embassy Tokyo Participants: 
Bart Cobbs, Deputy EST Counselor 
Thomas (Toby) Wolf, EST Officer 
Koichi Uchida, DOE Energy Specialist 
 
GOJ Participant: 
Kojiro Nogami, Deputy Director, General Affairs Division, Health 
Service Bureau, MHLW 
 
SCHIEFFER