Cancer mortality and radioactive fallout in southwestern Utah

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

OSTI ID:6927534

Machado, S G; Land, C E; McKay, F W

Cancer mortality was compared between a three-county region in southwestern Utah and the remainder of Utah in an investigation of reported excess cancer risks associated with residence in southwestern Utah during the period of above-ground nuclear tests at the Nevada Test Site. Because most of the fallout in southwestern Utah was deposited during 1953-1957, comparisons were limited to persons born before 1958, and deaths from leukemia and bone cancer during 1955-1980 and from other cancers during 1964-1980. There was no excess risk of cancer mortality in southwestern Utah, for single or grouped sites, with the single exception of leukemia which showed statistically significant odds ratios of 1.45 based on 62 deaths at all ages, and 2.84 based on nine deaths at ages 0-14. The finding for childhood leukemia was based on different time periods and geographic comparisons from those of two earlier studies in which no such excess was found. Mortality from all cancer sites combined was significantly lower in southwestern Utah than in the remainder of the state, even after adjustment for the higher proportion of (lower risk) Mormons in southwestern Utah. The present results, including the positive association for leukemia, are inconsistent with the high excess risks reported by Johnson (JAMA 1984;251:230-6) based on an interview survey of cancer incidence among long-term Mormon residents of southwestern Utah.

• Research Organization: National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
• OSTI ID: 6927534
• Journal Information: Am. J. Epidemiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Epidemiol.; (United States) Vol. 1; ISSN AJEPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560161* -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CARCINOMAS
DISEASES
EPIDEMIOLOGY
EXPLOSIONS
FALLOUT
FEDERAL REGION VIII
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HEMIC DISEASES
HUMAN POPULATIONS
LEUKEMIA
MORTALITY
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEOPLASMS
NEVADA TEST SITE
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
POPULATIONS
RADIATION HAZARDS
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
UTAH