Details:

Alternative Title:
Occup Environ Med
Personal Author:
Daniels, R D ; Schubauer-Berigan, M K
Daniels, R D ; Schubauer-Berigan, M K Less -
Description:
Context

More than 400 000 workers annually receive a measurable radiation dose and may be at increased risk of radiation-induced leukaemia. It is unclear whether leukaemia risk is elevated with protracted, low-dose exposure.

Objective

We conducted a meta-analysis examining the relationship between protracted low-dose ionising radiation exposure and leukaemia.

Data sources

Reviews by the National Academies and United Nations provided a summary of informative studies published before 2005. PubMed and Embase databases were searched for additional occupational and environmental studies published between 2005 and 2009.

Study selection

We selected 23 studies that: (1) examined the association between protracted exposures to ionising radiation and leukaemia excluding chronic lymphocytic subtype; (2) were a cohort or nested case–control design without major bias; (3) reported quantitative estimates of exposure; and (4) conducted exposure–response analyses using relative or excess RR per unit exposure.

Methods

Studies were further screened to reduce information overlap. Random effects models were developed to summarise between-study variance and obtain an aggregate estimate of the excess RR at 100 mGy. Publication bias was assessed by trim and fill and Rosenthal's file drawer methods.

Results

We found an ERR at 100 mGy of 0.19 (95% CI 0.07 to 0.32) by modelling results from 10 studies and adjusting for publication bias. Between-study variance was not evident (p=0.99).

Conclusions

Protracted exposure to low-dose gamma radiation is significantly associated with leukaemia. Our estimate agreed well with the leukaemia risk observed among exposed adults in the Life Span Study (LSS) of atomic bomb survivors, providing increased confidence in the current understanding of leukaemia risk from ionising radiation. However, unlike the estimates obtained from the LSS, our model provides a precise, quantitative summary of the direct estimates of excess risk from studies of protracted radiation exposures.


Subjects:
[+]
Gamma Rays Humans Leukemia, Radiation-Induced Models, Statistical Nuclear Reactors Occupational Diseases Occupational Exposure Publication Bias Radiation Dosage
Source:
Occup Environ Med. 2011; 68(6):457-464.
Document Type:
Journal Article
Collection(s):
CDC Public Access
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:be66d462f431ca2b734f164cdbf2f9b5edb4f617722a11cb6414d6dd1525f52e
Download URL:
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/4060/cdc_4060_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

• 	license.txt	txt
  	oemed54684.nxml	txt
  	oemed54684fig1.gif	gif
  	oemed54684fig1.jpg	jpeg
  	oemed54684fig2.gif	gif
  	oemed54684fig2.jpg	jpeg

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