title: Diagnostic radiation and the risk of multiple myeloma (United States).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relationship between cumulative lifetime exposure to diagnostic radiation and the risk of multiple myeloma using data from a large, multi-center, population-based case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study subjects included a total of 540 cases with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma and 1998 frequency-matched population controls living in three areas of the United States (Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey). Information on exposure to diagnostic X-rays was obtained by personal interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No association was found between case-control status and the total number of reported diagnostic X-rays of any type (odds ratio (OR) for 20 or more compared to less than 5 X-rays = 0.9, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.7-1.2). There was no evidence of an excess risk of multiple myeloma among individuals who reported exposure to 10 or more diagnostic X-rays that impart a relatively high radiation dose to the bone marrow, as compared to individuals reporting no such exposures (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.4-1.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that exposure to diagnostic X-rays has a negligible impact, if any, on risk of developing multiple myeloma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA. jhatcher@childtrends.org
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hatcher
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baris
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Olshan
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Inskip
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Savitz
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pottern
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Schoenberg
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D009515:New Jersey / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors