Living near a nuclear power station doesn't increase a child's cancer risk
BMJ 2005; 330 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.330.7505.1410-b (Published 16 June 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;330:1410All rapid responses
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Cook-Mozaffari (1) published a paper in the Lancet in 1989 which
looked at cancer near potential sites of nuclear installations. The team
examined mortality and census data for 400 districts of England and Wales
in relation to existing and potential nuclear power station sites and
concluded that excess mortality for leukaemia and Hodgkin’s disease in
young people living near potential nuclear power stations was similar to
that in young people who lived near existing sites.
Reference:
1.Cook-Mozaffari P, Darby S, Doll R. Cancer near potential sites of
nuclear installations. Lancet. 1989 Nov 11;2(8672):1145-7.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
The author of this article writes, “Researchers remain perplexed that
facilities producing levels of radiation that are relatively low, such as
Aldermaston, Burghfield, and Harwell, still seem to show levels of
childhood cancer that are significantly, if not dramatically, raised.”
I remember that some years ago, a UK study was reported which
investigated sites which had been considered for nuclear power stations,
but at which no nuclear development occurred. An increased incidence of
certain malignancies was found at these sites also. The possible
inference at the time was that some factor or factors in common led both
to increased malignancies and to desirability for building a nuclear power
facility.
Unfortunately I read this some time ago, and remember no further
details. Please can a reader who knows of this study comment? It is
clearly relevant to the perplexity of the present researchers.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Childhood leukaemia in the vicinity of nuclear facilities in northern Germany
With great interest we have read the article by Madeleine Brettingham
reporting in brief summary the findings of the 10th COMARE report [1]. The
article outlines that the investigation of 32.000 cases of childhood
cancer having occurred in the period 1969 to 1993 in UK does not reveal an
elevated risk for children living near nuclear facilities. However the
authors of the report name four sites where there is a statistically
significant increased standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of leukaemia and
non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the 25 km region around the nuclear
installations for this period. At Sellafield, the higher rates of
childhood leukaemia have persisted since 1950 (cases N=29; 1950 - 1993),
as recently reconsidered in the 11th COMARE report [2].
The reassuring conclusion of the authors of the report is further
challenged by findings outside the UK. In Germany, the most pronounced
childhood leukaemia cluster has been observed in the vicinity of the
nuclear installations of Krümmel, southeast of Hamburg at the river Elbe.
Since 1990 an unusually large number of childhood leukaemia cases was
diagnosed in the sparsely-populated region surrounding a nuclear research
and nuclear power complex southeast of Hamburg [3]. Until 2005 fourteen
cases of acute leukaemia were ascertained in a 5km area around the nuclear
facilities while 4.0 were expected based upon national referent rates
(SIR=3.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.1, 6.0). In a current
investigation we found the SIR of greatest magnitude for children aged 0-4
years (SIR=4.9, 95% CI: 2.49, 8.75). To date, no unique hazards have been
identified in this population, although some findings from environmental
monitoring suggest that releases of radionuclides in the 1980s may have
exceeded permitted levels.
The fact, that at these sites in UK and Germany the elevated rates of
childhood leukaemia have persisted for decades now urge us to continue
research to identify the possible causes of these clusters in the interest
of the children.
References:
[1] COMARE 10th Report: The incidence of childhood cancer around nuclear
installations in Great Britain. Chairman: Professor B.A. Bridges. 2005
[2] COMARE 11th Report: The distribution of childhood leukaemia and other
childhood cancers in Great Britain 1969-1993. Chairman: Professor A.
Elliot. 2006
[3] Hoffmann W, Dieckmann H, Dieckmann H, Schmitz-Feuerhake I. A cluster
of childhood leukemia near a nuclear reactor in Northern Germany. Arch
Environ Health 1997; 52 (4): 275-280.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests