[srp] Third Epidemiological Study of Nuclear Test Veterans (fwd)

[Gibbs, S Julian]

ORADlisters:
This today from the Society for Radiological Protection (UK)
listserver may be of interest.
Julian

---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 7:45 AM +0000
From: "Fred Dawson <fwp_dawson at hotmail.com>"
<fwp_dawson at hotmail.com>
To: srp-uk at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [srp] Third Epidemiological Study of Nuclear Test Veterans

NRPB have issued a press release as follows:-

"A study1 published today in "Occupational and Environmental
Medicine" concludes that overall rates of death and cancer
incidence  continue to be very similar in participants in UK
nuclear weapons  tests and in a matched control group. This is one
of the largest  studies of its kind. It found that reports of a
raised risk of  multiple myeloma amongst test veterans were not
substantiated.  However, the possibility that test participation
caused a small  absolute risk of leukaemia other than chronic
lymphatic leukaemia  cannot be ruled out.

The analysis1 was carried out by researchers at the National
Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) and was guided by an
independent  Advisory Group. It is the third epidemiological study
of about 20,000  service personnel and civilians who took part in
the atmospheric  testing of UK nuclear weapons in the 1950/60s.
These test veterans  have been compared with a carefully matched
control group of  personnel who served in the tropics or sub
tropical areas at the same  time, but not at the nuclear test
locations. Further details of the  study have been published today
by NRPB2 (report).

This analysis had been prompted by claims of elevated levels of
multiple myeloma in test veterans. Therefore, special checks were
carried out with the University of Dundee and with the Leukaemia
Research Fund. The checks confirmed that the data achieved a high
level of completeness.

The study concludes that overall rates of death and cancer
incidence  up to 1998 continue to be very similar in test
participants and in  the matched control group. Death rates in both
test participants and  controls were lower than those in men of the
same ages in England and  Wales for the broad categories of all
causes of death combined, for  all cancers and for all other
diseases taken together. In contrast,  death rates for accidents
and violence were above the national  average in both test
participants and controls.

Rates of multiple myeloma in test participants in recent years were
similar both to rates in the controls and to national rates.
Reports  of a raised risk of myeloma were therefore not
substantiated.

This third study found that, up to the end of 1998, rates of
leukaemia other than chronic lymphatic leukaemia were higher in
test  participants than in controls. As in the second analysis,
published  eight years ago, this might be a chance finding that
reflects low  rates among the controls compared to national
mortality rates.  However, the possibility that participation in
the nuclear tests  caused the increase cannot be ruled out.

There were no striking findings for personnel who might have been
at  higher risk because of the nature of their jobs or for whom
exposure  to radiation was recorded. However, some of these groups
were small  and it was not always possible to reach definite
conclusions."

http://www.nrpb.org/press/press_releases/2003/press_release_03_03.h
tm

Press enquiries:

E-mail: pressoffice at nrpb.org


============================
fwp_dawson at hotmail.com




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***********************************************************
S. Julian Gibbs, DDS, PhD              Office: 615-322-1477
Professor, Emeritus
Dept. of Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Vanderbilt University Medical Center     Home: 615-356-3615
209 Oxford House        Email:s.julian.gibbs at vanderbilt.edu
Nashville TN 37232-4245     or alias:j.gibbs at vanderbilt.edu
***********************************************************
When a scientist says something is possible, he is probably
right.
When he says something is impossible, he is probably wrong.
                             --Arthur C. Clarke