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An update of cancer mortality among the French cohort of uranium miners: Extended follow-up and new source of data for causes of death

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Abstract

The follow-up of the French cohort of uranium miners has been extended to 1994, and a new source of information for causes of death has been used. The paper presents the new results regarding the risk of death among the cohort, and analyses the impact of the methodological changes on these results. The extension of the follow-up results in a substantial increase in statistical power compared with previous analysis (+25% for person-years and +74% for the number of deaths). The use of the National Mortality Database as the principal source for causes of death allows to reduce the potential bias in the calculation of standardized mortality ratios (SMR). As a consequence, an excess risk of deaths from laryngeal cancer, suggested in the first analysis, is not confirmed. The analysis shows the existence of an excess risk of deaths from lung cancer among French uranium miners (85 observed deaths, SMR = 1.9, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.5–2.3), and an increase of this risk with cumulative exposure to radon (excess relative risk per 100 working level month = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.1–1.2). These results confirm the existence of a risk of death from lung cancer in a population chronically exposed to relatively low levels of radon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety, IRSN, DPHD/SEGR/LEADS, B.P. 17, F-92262, Fontenay aux Roses Cedex, France

    Dominique Laurier, Margot Tirmarche & Madeleine Valenty

  2. Centre d'Assurance de Qualité des Applications Technologiques en Santé (CAATS), Bourg la Reine, France

    Nicolas Mitton

  3. Compagnie Générale des Matières Nucléaires (COGEMA), Velizy, France

    Patrick Richard, Serge Poveda, Jean-Marie Gelas & Benoit Quesne

Authors
  1. Dominique Laurier
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  2. Margot Tirmarche
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  3. Nicolas Mitton
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  4. Madeleine Valenty
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  5. Patrick Richard
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  6. Serge Poveda
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  7. Jean-Marie Gelas
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  8. Benoit Quesne
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Correspondence to Dominique Laurier.

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Laurier, D., Tirmarche, M., Mitton, N. et al. An update of cancer mortality among the French cohort of uranium miners: Extended follow-up and new source of data for causes of death. Eur J Epidemiol 19, 139–146 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EJEP.0000017824.38966.01

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EJEP.0000017824.38966.01

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