Objectives: To assess whether workers at Lucas Heights Science and Technology Centre (LHSTC) have different levels of mortality from the New South Wales (NSW) and Australian populations. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was undertaken at LHSTC. Data on 7,076 workers employed between 1957‐98 were abstracted from personnel, dosimetry, and medical files. Deaths registrations in the cohort were identified to 1998 through electronic linkage of records with NSW and national registers of cancer incidence and mortality. Two inception cohorts were defined as including 4,717 and 3,543 workers in employment between 1972‐98 and 1980‐98, to examine cancer mortality and all‐cause mortality respectively. Results: All‐cause mortality was 31% lower than the national rates; all‐cancer mortality was 19% below the NSW rate. Of 37 specific cancers and groups of cancers examined, statistically significant excesses relative to NSW rates were observed only for pleural cancer mortality (SMR=21.11; 95% Cl 8.79‐50.72). Conclusions: The observed increase in the risk of cancer of the pleura was probably due to unmeasured exposures, given the lack of an established association with radiation exposure and the strong link to asbestos exposure.

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Cancer Incidence among Australian Nuclear Industry Workers: Rima R. HABIB, et al. Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Lebanon-To assess whether workers at Lucas Heights Science and Technology Centre (LHSTC) had different levels of cancer incidence from the New South Wales (NSW) population in Australia. A retrospective cohort study was undertaken at LHSTC. Data on 7,076 workers employed between 1957-98 were abstracted from personnel, dosimetry, and medical files. An inception cohort was defined which included 4,523 workers in employment between 1972-96 to examine cancer incidence. Cancer registrations in the inception cohort were identified to 1996 through electronic linkage of records with the NSW and the Australian national registers of cancer incidence. Allcancer incidence in workers at LHSTC was 15% below the NSW rates [SIR=0.85; 95% CI=(0.75, 0.95)]. Of 37 specific cancers and groups of cancers examined, statistically significant excesses relative to NSW rates were observed only for pleural cancer incidence [SIR=17.71; 95%=(7.96, 39.43)], and for incidence of cancer of the small intestine [SIR=4.34; 95% CI=(1.40, 13.46)]. This study gives little evidence of an increased risk of cancers associated with radiation exposure in a cohort of nuclear workers in Australia. The observed increase in the risk of cancer of the pleura was probably due to unmeasured exposures, given the lack of an established association with radiation exposure, and the strong link to asbestos exposure. Findings for cancers of the small intestine were based on small numbers and were likely to be due to chance. (J Occup Health 2006; 48: 358-365)

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