title: Leukaemia incidence in the Techa River Cohort: 1953-2007.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about leukaemia risk following chronic radiation exposures at low dose rates. The Techa River Cohort of individuals residing in riverside villages between 1950 and 1961 when releases from the Mayak plutonium production complex contaminated the river allows quantification of leukaemia risks associated with chronic low-dose-rate internal and external exposures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Excess relative risk models described the dose-response relationship between radiation dose on the basis of updated dose estimates and the incidence of haematological malignancies ascertained between 1953 and 2007 among 28 223 cohort members, adjusted for attained age, sex, and other factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost half of the 72 leukaemia cases (excluding chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)) were estimated to be associated with radiation exposure. These data are consistent with a linear dose response with no evidence of modification. The excess relative risk estimate was 0.22 per 100 mGy. There was no evidence of significant dose effect for CLL or other haematopoietic malignancies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These analyses demonstrate that radiation exposures, similar to those received by populations exposed as a consequence of nuclear accidents, are associated with long-term dose-related increases in leukaemia risks. Using updated dose estimates, the leukaemia risk per unit dose is about half of that based on previous dosimetry.
authors.affiliation: Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Epidemiology Laboratory, 68-a, Vorovsky Street, Chelyabinsk 454076, Russia.
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Krestinina
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schonfeld
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Preston
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Degteva
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Epifanova
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Akleyev
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007953:Leukemia, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D045483:Rivers; D012426:Russia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors