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Leukemia and exposure to ionizing radiation among German uranium miners
Author(s) -
Möhner Matthias,
Lindtner Manfred,
Otten Heinz,
Gille HansG.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.20289
Subject(s) - medicine , radon , uranium , leukemia , lung cancer , ionizing radiation , environmental health , occupational exposure , radiation exposure , occupational medicine , conditional logistic regression , risk assessment , german , logistic regression , nuclear medicine , oncology , population , irradiation , archaeology , materials science , physics , computer security , history , quantum mechanics , computer science , nuclear physics , metallurgy
Background It is well known that uranium miners are at an increased risk of lung cancer. Whether they also have an increased risk for other cancer sites remains under discussion. The aim of this study was to examine the leukemia risk among miners. Methods An individually matched case‐control study of former uranium miners in East Germany was conducted with 377 cases and 980 controls. Results Using conditional logistic regression models, a dose–response relationship between leukemia risk and radon progeny could not be confirmed. Yet, a significantly elevated risk is seen in the category ≥400 mSv when combining γ‐radiation and long‐lived radionuclides. Conclusions The results suggest that an elevated risk for leukemia is restricted to employees with a very long occupational career in underground uranium mining or uranium processing. Moreover, the study does not support the hypothesis of an association between exposure to short‐lived radon progeny and leukemia risk. Am. J. Ind. Med. 49:238–248, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.