The growing importance of radiation worker studies

Wakeford, Richard

doi:10.1038/s41416-018-0134-6

Cited by 19 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…With this increase, radiation safety has become more important compared to previous years in order to protect the health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals, patients and society. Recent studies have attempted to draw attention to the potential risks and awareness of doctors about occupational radiation exposure (Wakeford, 2018). However, despite the positive health effects of applications, the harmful implications of ionizing radiation on human health cannot be overlooked (European Society of Radiology, 2011;Stewart et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of awareness level concerning radiation safety among healthcare professionals who work in a radiation environment

Zekioğlu

Parlar

2021

Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences

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Radiation safety has become more important issue due to increased use of ionizing radiation in diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this study is to investigate the awareness and knowledge level concerning radiation safety among healthcare professionals who work in a radiation environment. The study population consisted of healthcare professionals who work in a radiation environment at a state hospital, a university hospital and a private hospital in Edirne province. The survey used in this study was prepared by the investigators after reviewing previous studies on similar subjects, and opinions were sought from experts in relevant fields. The survey consists of two parts and a total of 28 questions. Results of this study revealed that the rate of correct answers was 68.6% for questions on radiation safety among all healthcare professionals. The present study demonstrated an insufficient level of knowledge and awareness on radiation safety, even in the occupational groups that continuously work in a radiation environment. Periodic trainings should be conducted in hospitals. Pre-test and posttest exercises should be performed in order to increase the effectiveness of the trainings, and interactive case studies specific to the clinic should be included in the program. Finally, with electronic learning programs which may be implemented at national level, all relevant persons would have access to these programs.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of awareness level concerning radiation safety among healthcare professionals who work in a radiation environment

Zekioğlu

Parlar

2021

Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences

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“…For these INWORKS analyses, we adjusted the recorded dose to account for bias in historical dosimeter response and attenuation, taking the estimated colon dose as the quantity of interest 22. Despite those efforts, concerns have been expressed that errors in radiation dose estimates for workers employed in the early years of the industry’s operations could lead to biased estimates of radiation dose-cancer mortality associations 626364. Workers employed in the earliest years of the industry were often monitored with open window or single element personal film badge dosimeters, and film badges were exchanged on a relatively frequent basis 202265.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer mortality after low dose exposure to ionising radiation in workers in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States (INWORKS): cohort study

Richardson,

Leuraud,

Laurier

et al. 2023

BMJ

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Objective To evaluate the effect of protracted low dose, low dose rate exposure to ionising radiation on the risk of cancer. Design Multinational cohort study. Setting Cohorts of workers in the nuclear industry in France, the UK, and the US included in a major update to the International Nuclear Workers Study (INWORKS). Participants 309 932 workers with individual monitoring data for external exposure to ionising radiation and a total follow-up of 10.7 million person years. Main outcome measures Estimates of excess relative rate per gray (Gy) of radiation dose for mortality from cancer. Results The study included 103 553 deaths, of which 28 089 were due to solid cancers. The estimated rate of mortality due to solid cancer increased with cumulative dose by 52% (90% confidence interval 27% to 77%) per Gy, lagged by 10 years. Restricting the analysis to the low cumulative dose range (0-100 mGy) approximately doubled the estimate of association (and increased the width of its confidence interval), as did restricting the analysis to workers hired in the more recent years of operations when estimates of occupational external penetrating radiation dose were recorded more accurately. Exclusion of deaths from lung cancer and pleural cancer had a modest effect on the estimated magnitude of association, providing indirect evidence that the association was not substantially confounded by smoking or occupational exposure to asbestos. Conclusions This major update to INWORKS provides a direct estimate of the association between protracted low dose exposure to ionising radiation and solid cancer mortality based on some of the world’s most informative cohorts of radiation workers. The summary estimate of excess relative rate solid cancer mortality per Gy is larger than estimates currently informing radiation protection, and some evidence suggests a steeper slope for the dose-response association in the low dose range than over the full dose range. These results can help to strengthen radiation protection, especially for low dose exposures that are of primary interest in contemporary medical, occupational, and environmental settings.

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“…Comparison of the distributions by calendar year of average annual individual whole-body doses received occupationally from penetrating (primarily photon) radiation from external sources, as recorded at the US nuclear installations at (a) Hanford [44] and (b) Savannah River [45], and as reconstructed [46] for the purposes of compensating people who develop cancers that could be attributable to prior occupational exposure to radiation at these installations. Reproduced from [47]. CC BY 4.0.…”

Section: The Accuracy Of Doses Used In Nuclear Worker Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overview of epidemiological studies of nuclear workers: opportunities, expectations, and limitations ^∗

Wakeford

2021

J. Radiol. Prot.

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Epidemiological studies of those exposed occupationally to ionising radiation offer an important opportunity to directly check the assumptions underlying the international system of radiological protection against low-level radiation exposures. Recent nuclear worker studies, notably the International Nuclear Workers Study (INWORKS) and studies of the Mayak workforce in Russia, provide powerful investigations of a wide range of cumulative photon doses received at a low dose-rate over protracted periods, and broadly confirm radiation-related excess risks of leukaemia and solid cancers at around the levels predicted by standard risk models derived mainly from the experience of the Japanese atomic-bomb survivors acutely exposed principally to gamma radiation. However, the slope of the dose-response for solid cancers expressed in terms of the excess relative risk per unit dose, ERR/Gy, differs between INWORKS and Mayak, such that when compared with the slope derived from the atomic-bomb survivors, INWORKS does not provide obvious support for the use in radiological protection of a dose and dose-rate effectiveness factor greater than one whereas the Mayak workforce apparently does. This difference could be a chance effect, but it could also point to potential problems with these worker studies. Of particular concern is the adequacy of recorded doses received in the early years of operations at older nuclear installations, such as the potential for ‘missed’ photon doses. A further issue is how baseline cancer rates may influence radiation-related excess risks. There is scope for a considerable increase in the statistical power of worker studies, with longer follow-up capturing more deaths and incident cases of cancer, and further workforces being included in collaborative studies, but the difficulties posed by dosimetry questions should not be ignored and need to be the subject of detailed scrutiny.

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The growing importance of radiation worker studies

Cited by 19 publications

References 13 publications

Investigation of awareness level concerning radiation safety among healthcare professionals who work in a radiation environment

Investigation of awareness level concerning radiation safety among healthcare professionals who work in a radiation environment

Cancer mortality after low dose exposure to ionising radiation in workers in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States (INWORKS): cohort study

Overview of epidemiological studies of nuclear workers: opportunities, expectations, and limitations ^∗

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The growing importance of radiation worker studies

Cited by 19 publications

References 13 publications

Investigation of awareness level concerning radiation safety among healthcare professionals who work in a radiation environment

Investigation of awareness level concerning radiation safety among healthcare professionals who work in a radiation environment

Cancer mortality after low dose exposure to ionising radiation in workers in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States (INWORKS): cohort study

Overview of epidemiological studies of nuclear workers: opportunities, expectations, and limitations ∗

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Overview of epidemiological studies of nuclear workers: opportunities, expectations, and limitations ^∗