Leukemia and cancer around nuclear installations
- Univ. of Oxford (England)
Most reports of an increased incidence of childhood leukemia and less frequently, cancer around nuclear installations in the U.K., are based on inadequate analysis. Although positive associations have been found, the findings are inconsistent. During 1956-1963 there were five cases of leukemia in children under 10 y of age, near the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, an incidence approximately 10 times than that expected. There was a fourfold excess in 1968-1978 for leukemia deaths at ages 0-24 y and a twofold excess from 1959-1978. The excess in Seascale affected those born in this village, rather than those living but not born there, and the excess related also to other childhood cancers. Among 1,068 children born there were five deaths from leukemia compared with 0.53 expected. There was also a threefold excess of other cancers. These studies support the suggestion that the incidence of leukemia in young persons is raised around nuclear installations, but the results are inconsistent. Where detailed dosimetry has been done, the excess risk is too high in relation to the population exposure to radiation to be explained on the basis of current radiobiological theory, and the discrepancies are inconsistent.
- OSTI ID:
- 5639416
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-890937-; CODEN: AEHLA
- Journal Information:
- Archives of Environmental Health; (USA), Vol. 45:5; Conference: 1. annual meeting of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, Upton, NY (USA), 13-15 Sep 1989; ISSN 0003-9896
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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