The 15-Country Collaborative Study of Cancer Risk among Radiation Workers in the Nuclear Industry: Estimates of Radiation-Related Cancer Risks
Résumé
A 15-Country collaborative cohort study was conducted to provide direct estimates of cancer risk following protracted low doses of ionizing radiation. Analyses included 407,391 nuclear industry workers monitored individually for external radiation and 5.2 million person-years of follow-up. A significant association was seen between radiation dose and all-cause mortality [excess relative risk (ERR) 0.42 per Sv, 90% CI 0.07, 0.79; 18,993 deaths]. This was mainly attributable to a dose-related increase in all cancer mortality (ERR/Sv 0.97, 90% CI 0.28, 1.77; 5233 deaths). Among 31 specific types of malignancies studied, a significant association was found for lung cancer (ERR/Sv 1.86, 90% CI 0.49, 3.63; 1457 deaths) and a borderline significant (P = 0.06) association for multiple myeloma (ERR/Sv 6.15, 90% CI <0, 20.6; 83 deaths) and ill-defined and secondary cancers (ERR/Sv 1.96, 90% CI -0.26, 5.90; 328 deaths). Stratification on duration of employment had a large effect on the ERR/Sv, reflecting a strong healthy worker survivor effect in these cohorts. This is the largest analytical epidemiological study of the effects of low-dose protracted exposures to ionizing radiation to date. Further studies will be important to better assess the role of tobacco and other occupational exposures in our risk estimates. © 2007 by Radiation Research Society.
Mots clés
article
cancer mortality
cancer risk
cause of death
confidence interval
follow up
human
industrial worker
ionizing radiation
leukemia
lung cancer
multiple myeloma
nuclear industry
priority journal
radiation dose
radiation exposure
socioeconomics
adult
cohort analysis
employment
female
industry
international cooperation
male
methodology
mortality
nuclear reactor
occupational disease
occupational exposure
radiation injury
risk assessment
risk factor
statistics
survival
survival rate
whole body counting
Nicotiana tabacum
Adult
Cohort Studies
Employment
Female
Humans
Industry
International Cooperation
Male
Neoplasms
Radiation-Induced
Nuclear Reactors
Occupational Diseases
Occupational Exposure
Radiation Dosage
Risk Assessment
Risk Factors
Survival Analysis
Survival Rate
Whole-Body Counting