Cancer risk among Baltic Chernobyl cleanup workers

Aim of the study

The aim of the study is to assess health effects of radiation among workers exposed to radiation from cleanup activities following the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.

Implementation

Three Baltic cohorts of Chernobyl cleanup workers from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with a total of 15,000 men are followed from 1986 to investigate cancer incidence among persons exposed to ionizing radiation from the Chernobyl accident. Each cohort was identified from various independent sources and followed using nationwide population and mortality registries. Cancers are ascertained by linkage with nationwide cancer registries. Comparisons to the population rates and within cohort analyses will be conducted. Earlier analyses have shown possible excesses of thyroid cancer and brain tumours (Rahu et al. Int J Cancer 2006). No clear dose -response pattern has been observed, but the men with thyroid cancer tended to enter the area earlier than other workers. However, a screening effect is possible. The quality of the leukaemia diagnoses is also uncertain. Further follow-up will allow more accurate estimation of dose-dependence.

Dissemination and exploitation of results

The results will provide information about health consequences of the Chernobyl accident and the results will be published in an international scientific journal

Collaborators

National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia, Latvian Cancer Registry, Riga, Latvia, Finnish Cancer Registry, Helsinki, Finland, U.S. National Cancer Institute, Maryland, USA

Timetable

Data collection is on-going and the analyses will be carried out in 2010.

Responsible scientist

Anssi Auvinen

Page updated 24/06/2009