Document text
Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
Page 1
Cnformation from Washington, D.C. 20545 BACK GRO I IS DI h ' FOR ~ L ~ TIO XON AEC HIWAY TESTICIILAR IRI UDI AT IOS PROJECTS IN OR EGOS AND WASPI.'\'GTOY STATE PRISONS Purpose of StuZies: To determine effects o f radiation o n -S e e d : 1. Accurate information was needed ahout effects o f human testicular function and fertility. radiaticn on niale reproductive capability. 2. Data draxr, f r o n experiments with animals could not h e extrapolated t o man. Selected volunteers in the Oregon State Prison and W a s h - ington State F risc jn received localized x - ray exposures -to the testes in doses ranging from 8to 600 rags. i:.. YLshington received a single exposure. I n Oregon, 61 prisoners received a single dose, five received two doses and one received three does. Senen samples, blood samples and material fron testicular biopsies were collected. Much of the data is still being analyzed. Where ti When: 1. OREGO!: STATE PRISOK, SALE%, OREGON: Experiment began in 1963, and actual irradiations terminated in M a y 1971. Specimens collected a r e still being analyzed. Principal investigator was DT. Carl G. Heller o f the Pacific North --w west Research Foundation, Seattle, Washington. Dr. Heller U suffered an incapacitating stroke in December 1972. In cp February 1973, Mavis J. Rowley, his senior research assistm ant, was named principal investigator and custodian of the Q- specimens collected. Ms. Rowley is currently affiliated cu Kith Swedish Hospital Medical Center, Tumor Clinic, Seattle, Washington, Total funding for the Oregon pro - ject was approximately $1.12 million. $1.086 million, under contract with Dr. Heller, from total operating funds o f $34,550 to Mavis Rowley for t h e period from October 1974 through December 1 9 7 5 . # June1963to July 1974. AEC and, later, ERDA provided
Page 2
iment began in1963 ; irradiation s terminated in May 1970. . Contract ter r zina ted in1971.Principal investigator was Washington (now with the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital,Seattle, Washington). AEC provided funding of approx ima t e 1 y $ 5 0 5 , no0 . Subjects Involved : 67 prisoners in Oregon; 6n i n Washington. Ages ranged,in the total group, from 2 5 According to the records, same basic procedures were observed I.in both prisons : Only volunteers serving life sentences der c ? I allowed to participate. Each inmate agreed to have vasectomy a t end of his psr tic i pet ion in project ; consent of wives obtained for this procedure.(All prisoners in Oregon eventu ally received a vasectomy. I n h’ashington, however, eight prisoners did not receive this operation. For three prisoners in the latter gro u ~ ,the operation was not deemed necessary, for various mel ical reasons. Records suggest. / that the remain - All volunteers were required to have preliminary physical and psychological ex as i nations,and to sign statements of informed consent. Consent procedures involved full explanation of future testicular cancer.A chaplain was usually present when the prisoners were counselled, and no Catholics were allowed to participate in the experiments.All prisoners were told they could withdraw at any time. Although small sums of money were paid to prisoners(approximately $ 5 -$ 10per treatment, and’.$100 at time of vasectomy) records .suggest that the prime incentive to participate may have been the feeling that they were making important contribution to state of medical knowledge. ERDA-believes that there is a need for continued medical surveillance of prisoners involved in both sets of experiments, and will explore with prison officials the best methods to, achieve this. Among health effects which should be monitored
Page 3
is the possibility of tc st icu lar tumors,occurring after a long latency period (25-31, years). Consent statements signed by prisoners indicated their recognition and acceptance of this particular risA. Human Use Criteria : These studies were approved only after all appropriate human use committees and criteria had been satisfied. There were human use corn n it tees in various institutions overseeing both experiments - - one committee for Oregon and five for h'ashington state. The consent procedures followed were reviewed a t with all applicable guidelines. These procedures were advanced for that time, and anticipated guidelines later issued by HEK. several intervals in the research,to assure strict compliance / The experiments yielded a hods of data relevant to assessing the effects of varying levels of radiation on sp.ermatogenic and testicular cells, and hurrian fertility in general. h'here subjects could be monitored over a sufficient period underwent recovery, and cells related to reproductive capacity did regenerate.The period required for recovery depended on the dose,ranging from approximately nine months to five or nore years. These findings have been useful in establishing the duration of the sterile period which folloxs a large radiation dose, and the length of the subsequent recovery period. Findings from the experiments in both Oregon and h'ashington have been reported in detail in scientific journals and medical textbooks.Also,papers on the experiments were delivered at various medical and scientific conferences. On the Oregon prison experiments,the major published reports " Effect .of Graded Doses of Ionizing Radiation on the Human Proceedings of t3e Sixth Pan-American Congress of Endocrinology, I Pt in Excerpt a Medi-ca (International Congress Series No. 112, from
Page 4
the Seminiferous Epithelium of the Human Tcstis Employing the Sertoli Cell as a Constant," 2 . Zellforsch, 11s: 4 6 1 - 4 7 2 On the Washington state experiments, the following abstracts and publications appeared in the open literature: 7. h'. Thorslund and C. A . Paulsen, in Proceedings of the Study o f Fertility, Carabridge, England, July 1966. but not presented a t Seton2 International Congress on Hormonal Steroids, h!ilan, Italy, May 1 9 6 6 .