Do atomic veterans have excess cancer. New results correcting for the healthy soldier bias

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Am. J. Epidemiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5103169

This letter to the editor rebuts a criticism made of the National Research Council report on Mortality of Nuclear Weapons Test Participants. Bross and Bross in this issue of the journal contend that there was significant excess cancer, not just leukemia, among participants at the 1957 nuclear test series code named PLUMBBOB. Their conclusion was based on 1) a correction for the healthy soldier bias, and 2) a comparison of the standardized mortality ratios for cancer among PLUMBBOB participants whose doses were estimated to be 300 mrem or more with the standardized mortality ratios among participants with smaller estimated doses. The author suggests that the corrections used in Bross and Bross were selected to support a particular contention and that contrary data were ignored. He further states that the data do not indicate that excess cancers have occurred among PLUMBBOB participants with the exception that the excess leukemias at SMOKY are as yet unexplained unless some SMOKY participants had much larger radiation doses than has been realized.

• OSTI ID: 5103169
• Journal Information: Am. J. Epidemiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Epidemiol.; (United States) Vol. 126:6; ISSN AJEPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ATMOSPHERIC EXPLOSIONS
DISEASE INCIDENCE
DISEASES
DOSES
EPIDEMIOLOGY
ERRORS
EXPLOSIONS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
MILITARY PERSONNEL
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
PERSONNEL
PLUMBBOB PROJECT
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION HAZARDS
RISK ASSESSMENT
SMOKY EVENT