External background ionizing radiation and childhood cancer: Update of a nationwide cohort analysis.
Cancer in children
Cosmic radiation
Gamma radiation
Low-dose ionizing radiation
Journal
Journal of environmental radioactivity
ISSN: 1879-1700
Titre abrégé: J Environ Radioact
Pays: England
ID NLM: 8508119
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Nov 2021
Nov 2021
Historique:
received:
29
03
2021
revised:
27
08
2021
accepted:
28
08
2021
pubmed:
15
9
2021
medline:
29
9
2021
entrez:
14
9
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation is known to cause cancer. Exposure during childhood is associated with a greater excess relative risk for leukemia and tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) than exposure in later life. Cancer risks associated with low-dose exposure (<100 mSv) are uncertain. We previously investigated the association between the incidence of childhood cancer and levels of exposure to external background radiation from terrestrial gamma and cosmic rays in Switzerland using data from a nationwide census-based cohort study. Here, we provide an update of that study using an extended follow-up period and an improved exposure model. We included all children 0-15 years of age registered in the Swiss national censuses 1990, 2000, and 2010-2015. We identified incident cancer cases during 1990-2016 using probabilistic record linkage with the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry. Exposure to terrestrial and cosmic radiation at children's place of residence was estimated using geographic exposure models based on aerial spectrometric gamma-ray measurements. We estimated and included the contribution from We included 3,401,113 children and identified 3,137 incident cases of cancer, including 951 leukemia, 495 lymphoma, and 701 CNS tumor cases. Median follow-up in the cohort was 6.0 years (interquartile range: 4.3-10.1) and median cumulative exposure since birth was 8.2 mSv (range: 0-31.2). Hazard ratios per 1 mSv increase in cumulative dose of external background radiation were 1.04 (95% CI: 1.01-1.06) for all cancers combined, 1.06 (1.01-1.10) for leukemia, 1.03 (0.98-1.08) for lymphoma, and 1.06 (1.01-1.11) for CNS tumors. Adjustment for potential confounders had little effect on the results. Based on these results, the estimated population attributable fraction for leukemia and CNS tumors due to external background radiation was 32% (7-49%) and 34% (5-51%), respectively. Our results suggest that background ionizing radiation contributes to the risk of leukemia and CNS tumors in children.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation is known to cause cancer. Exposure during childhood is associated with a greater excess relative risk for leukemia and tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) than exposure in later life. Cancer risks associated with low-dose exposure (<100 mSv) are uncertain. We previously investigated the association between the incidence of childhood cancer and levels of exposure to external background radiation from terrestrial gamma and cosmic rays in Switzerland using data from a nationwide census-based cohort study. Here, we provide an update of that study using an extended follow-up period and an improved exposure model.
METHODS
METHODS
We included all children 0-15 years of age registered in the Swiss national censuses 1990, 2000, and 2010-2015. We identified incident cancer cases during 1990-2016 using probabilistic record linkage with the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry. Exposure to terrestrial and cosmic radiation at children's place of residence was estimated using geographic exposure models based on aerial spectrometric gamma-ray measurements. We estimated and included the contribution from
RESULTS
RESULTS
We included 3,401,113 children and identified 3,137 incident cases of cancer, including 951 leukemia, 495 lymphoma, and 701 CNS tumor cases. Median follow-up in the cohort was 6.0 years (interquartile range: 4.3-10.1) and median cumulative exposure since birth was 8.2 mSv (range: 0-31.2). Hazard ratios per 1 mSv increase in cumulative dose of external background radiation were 1.04 (95% CI: 1.01-1.06) for all cancers combined, 1.06 (1.01-1.10) for leukemia, 1.03 (0.98-1.08) for lymphoma, and 1.06 (1.01-1.11) for CNS tumors. Adjustment for potential confounders had little effect on the results. Based on these results, the estimated population attributable fraction for leukemia and CNS tumors due to external background radiation was 32% (7-49%) and 34% (5-51%), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that background ionizing radiation contributes to the risk of leukemia and CNS tumors in children.
Identifiants
pubmed: 34521026
pii: S0265-931X(21)00206-X
doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106734
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
106734Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.