Document Details

PRENATAL X-RAY EXPOSURE AND CHILDHOOD CANCER ( JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE, VOL. 28, NO. 5, MAY 1962, PP. 1173-1191 )

MACMAHON, B [HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH]

CHILDREN; NEOPLASMS; X RADIATION; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; FETUSES; MORTALITY; LEUKEMIA; STATISTICS; RISKS

Location - DOE/NNSA NUCLEAR TESTING ARCHIVE Address - P.O. Box 98521 City - Las Vegas State - NV Zip - 89193-8521 Phone - (702)794-5106 Fax - (702)862-4240 Email - NTA@NV.DOE.GOV

JOURNAL ARTICLE

1962 May 31

Never classified

0019

NV0067412

JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

1994 Aug 26

2003 Sep 18

THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT IN UTERO EXPOSURE TO X RAY IN DIAGNOSTIC DOSES INCREASES SUBSEQUENT MORTALITY FROM NEOPL ASTIC DISEASE DRUING CHILDHOOD. THE STUDY POPULATION CONSISTED OF 734 ,243 CHILDREN BORN IN AND DISCHARGED ALIVE FROM ANY OF 37 LARGE MATERN ITY HOSPITALS IN THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES IN THE YEARS 1947-1954. THE FREQUENCY OF INTRAUTERINE X-RAY EXPOSURE IN THE POPULATION WAS EST IMATED BY REVIEW OF THE RECORDS OF A 1 PERCENT SYSTEMATIC SAMPLE. ABD OMINAL OR PELVIC X RAYS WERE RECORDED IN 710 (10.6 PERCENT) OF THE 7,2 42 SINGLE PREGNANCIES IN THE SAMPLE. FIVE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FOUR CHI LDREN BORN IN THE STUDY POPULATION WHO SUBSEQUENTLY DIED OF CANCER WERE IDENTIFIED BY REVIEW OF DEATH AND BIRTH CERTIFICATES IN THE NORTH EAST REGION. THE RECORDS OF PREGNANCY AND DELIVERY OF 569 OR THESE CH ILDREN WERE ALSO REVIEWED. EIGHTY-FIVE (15.3 PERCENT) OF THE 556 CANC ER DEATHS BORN OF SINGLE PREGNANCIES HAD INTRAUTERINE X-RAY EXPOSURE. THE HIGHER FREQUENCY OF PRENATAL X RAY IN THE CANCER CASES THAN IN TH E SAMPLE WAS STATISTICALLY SINGIFICANT. AFTER CORRECTION FOR INDIRECT ASSICIATIONS WITH BIRTH ORDER AND OTHER COMPLICATING VARIABLES, IT WA S ESTIMATED THAT CANCER MORTALITY WAS ABOUT 40 PERCENT HIGHER IN THE X -RAYED THAN IN THE UNX-RAYED MEMGERS OF THE STUDY POPULATION. THIS RE LATIONSHIP HELD FOR EACH OF THE THREE MAJOR DIAGNOSTIC CATEGORIES-LEUK EMIA, NOEPLASMS OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND OTHER NEOPLASMS. T HE EXCESS CANCER MORTALITY IN THE X-RAYED GROUP WAS MOST MARKED AT AGE S 5 THROUGH 7 YEARS, AT WHICH TIME THE RELATIVE RISK WAS 2.0. THE EXC ESS RISK APPARENTLY WAS EXHAUSTED BY AGE 8. A TREND TOWARD HIGHER MOR TALITY IN THE MORE HEAVILY EXPOSED CHILDREN WAS SMALL AND NOT STATISTI CALLY SIGNIFICANT. NO SIGNIFICANT VARIATION WITH STAGE OF PREGANANCY AT EXPOSURE WAS EVIDENT. THE ASSICIATION OF INTRAUTERINE X-RAY EXPOSU RE WITH CANCER MORTALITY DOES NOT EXPLAIN THE HIGH INCIDENCE OF LEUKEM IA IN FIRST BIRTHS NOTED PREVIOUSLY.