Breast cancer incidence following low-dose rate environmental exposure: Techa River Cohort, 1956-2004.
In the 1950s, the Mayak nuclear weapons facility in Russia discharged liquid radioactive wastes into the Techa River causing exposure of riverside residents to protracted low-to-moderate doses of radiation. Almost 10,000 women received estimated doses to the stomach of up to 0.47 Gray (Gy) (mean dose=0.04 Gy) from external gamma-exposure and (137)Cs incorporation. We have been following this population for cancer incidence and mortality and as in the general Russian population, we found a significant temporal trend of breast cancer incidence. A significant linear radiation dose-response relationship was observed (P=0.01) with an estimated excess relative risk per Gray (ERR/Gy) of 5.00 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.80, 12.76). We estimated that approximately 12% of the 109 observed cases could be attributed to radiation.
Ostroumova
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E
Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, MS 7238, 6120 Executive Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20892-7238, USA. zhenia@urcrm.chel.su
Preston
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DL
Ron
E
E
Krestinina
L
L
Davis
F G
FG
Kossenko
M
M
Akleyev
A
A
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D012426:Russia