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RESPIRATORY DISEASE MORTALITY AMONG URANIUM MINERS
Author(s) -
Archer Victor E.,
Gillam J. Dean,
Wagoner Joseph K.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1976.tb23123.x
Subject(s) - lung cancer , medicine , respiratory system , respiratory disease , disease , cancer , cause of death , lung
A mortality analysis of a group of white and Indian uranium miners was done by a life-table method. A significant excess of respiratory cancer among both whites and Indians was found. Nonmalignant respiratory disease deaths among the whites are approaching cancer in importance as a cause of death, probably as a result of diffuse parenchymal radiation damage. Exposure-response curves for nonsmokers are linear for both respiratory cancer and "other respiratory disease." Cigaret smoking elevates and distorts that curve. Light cigaret smokers appear to be most vulnerable to lung parenchymal damage. The predominant histologic cancer among nonsmokers is small-cell undifferntiated, just as it is among cigaret smokers.