BFSID: 2364 |
Cardis, Elisabeth,
Vrijheid, M.,
Blettner, M.,
Gilbert, E.,
Hakama, M.,
Hill, C.,
Howe, G.,
Kaldor, J.,
Muirhead, C.R.,
Schubauer-Berigan, M.,
Yoshimura, T.,
Bermann, F.,
Cowper, G.,
Fix, J.,
Hacker, C.,
Heinmiller, B.,
Marshall, M.,
Thierry-Chef, I.,
Utterback, D.,
Ahn, Y-O.,
Amoros, E.,
Ashmore, P.,
Auvinen, A.,
Bae, J-M.,
Bernar, Solano J.,
Biau, A.,
Combalot, E.,
Deboodt, P.,
Diez, Sacristan A.,
Eklof, M.,
Engels, H.,
Engholm, G.,
Gulis, G.,
Habib, R.,
Holan, K.,
Hyvonen, H.,
Kerekes, A.,
Kurtinaitis, J.,
Malker, H.,
Martuzzi, M.,
Mastauskas, A.,
Monnet, A.,
Moser, M.,
Pearce, M.S.,
Richardson, D.B.,
Rodriguez-Artalejo, F.,
Rogel, A.,
H., Tardy,
Telle-Lamberton, M.,
Turai, I.,
Usel, M.,
Veress, K.
(International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC))
Main Journal Entry:
Article Title: Cancer Risk Following Low Doses of Ionizing Radiation, A 15-Country Study
Journal Date: July 9, 2005
Journal Name: British Medical Journal
Journal Volume: 331:77-80
This report examines cancer mortality among more than 400,000 nuclear industry workers in 15 countries including workers from three U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) facilities: Hanford, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the Idaho National Laboratory (formerly called Idaho
National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, INEEL). The three DOE sites were selected for inclusion by IARC study subcommittees because
workers at those sites were exposed to primarily external sources of radiation and the data were readily available.
The IARC study found that radiation exposure was significantly associated with risk of death from non-leukemia cancer. Results for leukemia were
inconclusive, but suggest a positive association with workplace radiation exposure. The report does not contradict the findings of the previous
NIOSH INEEL study (Schubauer-Berigan, et al. 2004).
Objective: To provide direct estimates of risk of cancer after protracted low doses of ionising radiation and to strengthen the scientific basis
of radiation protection standards for environmental, occupational, and medical diagnostic exposures.Design Multinational retrospective cohort study
of cancer mortality.
Setting: Cohorts of workers in the nuclear industry in 15 countries.
Participants 407,391 workers individually monitored for external radiation with a total follow-up of 5.2 million person years.
Main outcome measurements: Estimates of excess relative risks per sievert (Sv) of radiation dose for mortality from cancers other than leukaemia
and from leukaemia excluding chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, the main causes of death considered by radiation protection authorities.
Results: The excess relative risk for cancers other than leukaemia was 0.97 per Sv, 95% confidence interval 0.14 to 1.97. Analyses of causes of
death related or unrelated to smoking indicate that, although confounding by smoking may be present, it is unlikely to explain all of this increased
risk. The excess relative risk for leukaemia excluding chronic lymphocytic leukaemia was 1.93 per Sv (< 0 to 8.47). On the basis of these
estimates, 1-2% of deaths from cancer among workers in this cohort may be attributable to radiation.
Conclusions: These estimates, from the largest study of nuclear workers ever conducted, are higher than, but statistically compatible with, the
risk estimates used for current radiation protection standards. The results suggest that there is a small excess risk of cancer, even at the low
doses and dose rates typically received by nuclear workers in this study.
Additional Parts of this Document:
Article Title:
Abstract
CEDR Archive copy:
Abstract
Article Title:
Summary
CEDR Archive copy:
Summary
Relevant Data File Sets:
mfi93a01
Date Added: 11/14/2005