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Spokane, Wash., Mon., Feb. 6, 1978. t e e on health and envjronment hears testimony this week on whether small amounts of radiation caused cancer among workers at the Hanford nuclcar reserepidemioiogist in chronic diseases with the ment of Social and Health Services, four years ago turned up what secined to be statistical evidence of a slight increase in certain types of cancer among Kanford Nuclear Reservation The evidence later appeared to be supported by a larger, more detailed study Mancusco, University of Pittsburgh scientist whosc work was funded by thc mission and its successor, the Energy Research anc researchars, asked by federal officials to check the data, said Hanford employees had a lower overall cancer rate than the rors in the previous studies nated by ERDA and the work transferred to Oak sities, which operates the Oak Ridge National The Department of Energy, which inherited the . problems and jobs of the otd Atomic Energy Commission a n d ERDA, now is probing led .to cancellation of the hlilham found that statewide, 16 percent of all men over 20 years old who died froin 1950 through 1971 died from cancer. Among those who worked a t Hanford, the rate rose to 22 percent. Cancer deaths also seemed to be above average for dentists, clergymen and findings to Hanfoid bificiaig but decided against publicaThe larger Mancusco study checked death records of the thousands of Hanford workers since 1943. I t eventually found that “there is probably a cancer hazard associated with lowlevel radiation” such as at Hanford. The greatest hazard appreared to be in cancer of the bone marrow cancers, pancreas and ERDA grant already was terminated by the time his findings were published in December 1977. in part because of unhappiness over t h e delay in netting the remethods in deriving the pro. portion of cancer deaths due to cancer, and used a popuconsidercd the risk of dying of cancer to Hanford work. ers, present or former, who are still alive. I I .