Cancer in Populations Living Near Nuclear Facilities

Abstract

Reports from the United Kingdom have described increases in leukemia and lymphoma among young persons living near certain nuclear installations. Because of concerns raised by these reports, a mortality survey was conducted in populations living near nuclear facilities in the United States. All facilities began service before 1982. Over 900,000 cancer deaths occurred from 1950 through 1984 in 107 counties with or near nuclear installations. Each study county was matched for comparison to three "control counties" in the same region. There were 1.8 million cancer deaths in the 292 control counties during the 35 years studied. Deaths due to leukemia or other cancers were not more frequent in the study counties than in the control counties. For childhood leukemia mortality, the relative risk comparing the study counties with their controls before plant start-up was 1.08, while after start-up it was 1.03. For leukemia mortality at all ages, the relative risks were 1.02 before start-up and 0.98 after. For counties in two states, cancer incidence data were also available. For one facility, the standardized registration ratio for childhood leukemia was increased significantly after start-up. However, the increase also antedated the operation of this facility. The study is limited by the correlational approach and the large size of the geographic areas (counties) used. It does not prove the absence of any effect. If, however, any excess cancer risk was present in US counties with nuclear facilities, it was too small to be detected with the methods employed.

Rising Thyroid Cancer Incidence Proximate to a New York City-Area Nuclear Power Plant

“…National Cancer Institute (four sites in Connecticut and Iowa). Table 1 shows that the Standard Incidence Ratio (SIR, home county rate as a proportion of the state rate) for thyroid cancer increased in each of the four areas; the total SIR for all areas rose from 0.785 to 0.950, significant at p < 0.05 [31].…”

Leucémies chez les moins de 25 ans autour d'installations nucléaires en France et à létranger : revue des études épidémiologiques descriptives

“…Un excès d'incidence de leucémies tous âges confondus a été noté sur la période 1982-1984 autour du site de Pilgrim (Massachusetts) (Clapp et al, 1987), mais cet excès était contrebalancé par un déficit de cas sur la période 1985(Poole et al, 1988Wilson 1991 7 1 décès observés pour 76,3 attendus) et après démarrage de la centrale (1973)(1974)(1975)(1976)(1977)(1978)(1979)(1980)(1981)(1982)(1983)(1984)29 décès observés pour 30,4 attendus) (Jablon et al, 1990a;1990b). En 1996, une étude cas-témoins observait une association entre le risque de leucémie et la distance par rapport au site, mais ne considérait que des adultes (Moms and Knorr, 1996).…”

“…Elle compare la mortalité par cancer entre 107 comtés comprenant une installation nucléaire et 292 comtés témoins. Au total 2,7 millions de décès par cancer survenus entre 1950 et 1984 ont été considérés, dont 1390 décès par leucémie chez des 0-9 ans (Jablon et al, 1990a). L'étude ne montre pas d'augmentation de la mortalité par leucémie chez les jeunes dans les comtés où sont implantées des installations nucléaires (Jablon et al, 1990~).…”

“…L'étude ne montre pas d'augmentation de la mortalité par leucémie chez les jeunes dans les comtés où sont implantées des installations nucléaires (Jablon et al, 1990~). De plus, la mortalité par leucémie chez les 0-9 ans est similaire avant et après le démarrage des installations (Jablon et al, 1990b). Dans le cadre de cette grande étude, des données d'incidence étaient également disponibles D. LAURER dans deux États, le Connecticut et l'Iowa.…”

Radiation policy: a decision-making model.

“…Gardner et al (6) related the excess to an apparent genetic effect through paternal exposure. Subsequent studies in other British locations and elsewhere failed to confirm this notion (7)(8)(9), which suggests that other factors such as an occasional higher radiation discharge, chemical carcinogens, or contaminated paternal clothing or dust played a much stronger role in the reported leukemogenesis than ionizing radiation. Incidentally, such an excess was noted in areas where nuclear plants were planned but never constructed (10).…”