BMJ  2005;331 (9 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7508.0-a

Nuclear factory workers are at increased risk of cancer

Even low doses of ionising radiation that nuclear industry workers typically receive are associated with an increased risk of cancer. In a retrospective cohort study, Cardis and colleagues (p 77) monitored 407 391 nuclear industry workers in 15 countries for external radiation, with a total follow-up of 5.2 million person years. From these results they estimated that 1-2% of deaths from cancer among workers in this cohort are attributable to radiation. These estimates are higher than the risk estimates used for current radiation protection standards.

Credit: GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/GETTY

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Risk of cancer after low doses of ionising radiation: retrospective cohort study in 15 countries

E Cardis, M Vrijheid, M Blettner, E Gilbert, M Hakama, C Hill, G Howe, J Kaldor, C R Muirhead, M Schubauer-Berigan, T Yoshimura, F Bermann, G Cowper, J Fix, C Hacker, B Heinmiller, M Marshall, I Thierry-Chef, D Utterback, Y-O Ahn, E Amoros, P Ashmore, A Auvinen, J-M Bae, J Bernar Solano, A Biau, E Combalot, P Deboodt, A Diez Sacristan, M Eklof, H Engels, G Engholm, G Gulis, R Habib, K Holan, H Hyvonen, A Kerekes, J Kurtinaitis, H Malker, M Martuzzi, A Mastauskas, A Monnet, M Moser, M S Pearce, D B Richardson, F Rodriguez-Artalejo, A Rogel, H Tardy, M Telle-Lamberton, I Turai, M Usel, and K Veress
BMJ 2005 331: 77. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]