J Prev Med Public Health.
2010 Mar;43(2):185-192. 10.3961/jpmph.2010.43.2.185.
Radiation Exposure and Cancer Mortality Among Nuclear Power Plant Workers: a Meta-analysis
- Affiliations
-
- 1Radiation Health Research Institute, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., Korea. ywjin@khnp.co.kr
- 2Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Korea.
- KMID: 1070503
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.2010.43.2.185
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the relationship between low external doses of ionizing radiation exposure and the risk of cancer mortality among nuclear power plant workers.
METHODS
We searched MEDLINE using key words related to low dose and cancer risk. The selected articles were restricted to those written in English from 1990 to January 2009. We excluded those studies with no fit to the selection criteria and we included the cited references in published articles to minimize publication bias. Through this process, a total of 11 epidemiologic studies were finally included.
RESULTS
We found significant decreased deaths from all cancers (SMR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.62 - 0.90), all cancers excluding leukemia, solid cancer, mouth and pharynx, esophagus, stomach, rectum, liver and gallbladder, pancreas, lung, prostate, lymphopoietic and hematopoitic cancer. The findings of this meta-analysis were similar with those of the 15 Country Collaborative Study conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. A publication bias was found only for liver and gallbladder cancer (p = 0.015). Heterogeneity was observed for all cancers, all cancers excluding leukemia, solid cancer, esophagus, colon and lung cancer.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings of low mortality for stomach, rectum, liver and gallbladder cancers may explained by the health worker effect. Yet further studies are needed to clarify the low SMR of cancers, for which there is no useful screening tool, in nuclear power plant workers.
- Full Text Links
-
- Actions
-
Cited
- CITED
-
- Close
- Share
-
- Similar articles
-
- Assessment of the Glycophorin A Mutant Assay as a Biologic Marker for Low Dose Radiation Exposure
- Correlation Study on Clinical Laboratory Findings with Occupational Exposure to Low Dose Ionizing Radiation in Nuclear Workers in Korea
- Ionizing Radiation-induced Diseases in Korea
- Occupational Radiation Exposure and Health Effects among Medical Workers
- Reliability of a Questionnaire in an Epidemiological Study for Nuclear Power Plants Workers in Korea
