Cancer Risk in Adult Residents near Nuclear Power Plants in Korea - A Cohort Study of 1992-2010

Abstract

This study evaluated cancer risk for adult residents near Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) in Korea through a valid prospective cohort study during 1992-2010. The study cohort was composed of 11,367 adults living within a five km radius from the NPPs for the exposed and 24,809 adults for the non-exposed or reference cohort set at two different levels of proximity; 5-30 km radius and more than 30 km radius away from NPPs. In 303,542.5 person-years of follow-up, a total of 2,298 cancer cases of all sites, or 1,377 radio-inducible cancers diagnosed during 1992-2008 were ascertained. Multiple adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. There were no epidemiological evidence for increased risk of cancer due to radiation from NPPs. Radiological study results or surveillance data of radiation doses around NPPs could be well documented for risk estimation of radio-inducible cancers, instead of epidemiological study results of the long-time required. Continuous surveillance of quantitative measures of dose levels around NPPs and radiation exposures to the residents is warranted.

Cancer Risk among Population near Nuclear Power Plants in Korea

“…I read with great interest the recent article ( 1 ) and subsequent debate ( 2 , 3 ) regarding the cohort study on cancer risks among those residing near nuclear power plants. Since the issue of health effects among populations living near nuclear facilities is an important topic within public health discourse, further scientific communication would contribute to a more complete understanding of radiation exposure and health.…”

Cancer incidence in adults living in the vicinity of nuclear power plants in France, based on data from the French Network of Cancer Registries

“…More generally, most studies both in and outside France have focused on the incidence of leukemia among children living near NPPs, [4][5][6][7][9][10][11][12][13][14] while only a few have analyzed adult cancer around them. [10][11][12][13][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Some of the latter, focused on single nuclear installations, have observed higher than expected numbers of leukemia and of kidney and lung cancers. [11][12][13]15,17 To examine the incidence of cancer in adults living around NPPs in France and improve our understanding of the technical challenges related to health surveillance in the vicinity of NPPs, Sant e Publique France, the national public health agency, conducted an ecologic investigation.…”

Development and application of patient decision aids

“…This study advanced a claim that ultrasonography screening is responsible for the rapid increase in the thyroid cancer incidence, placing it at the top of the list [ 2 ] without contributing to a reduction in mortality [ 3 ] and interpreted it as overdiagnosis through the unnecessary use of ultrasonography screening [ 1 ]. On a related note, an unfounded claim that the increase in thyroid cancer rates among women living near nuclear power plants is ascribable to the exposure to radiation [ 4 ] has been causing concerns across the country [ 5 ].…”