Radiation epidemiology and health effects following low-level radiation exposure.

Radiation epidemiology is the study of human disease following radiation exposure to populations. Epidemiologic studies of radiation-exposed populations have been conducted for nearly 100 years, starting with the radium dial painters in the 1920s and most recently with large-scale studies of radiation workers. As radiation epidemiology has become increasingly sophisticated it is used for setting radiation protection standards as well as to guide the compensation programmes in place for nuclear weapons workers, nuclear weapons test participants, and other occupationally exposed workers in the United States and elsewhere. It is known with high assurance that radiation effects at levels above 100-150 mGy can be detected as evidenced in multiple population studies conducted around the world. The challenge for radiation epidemiology is evaluating the effects at low doses, below about 100 mGy of low-linear energy transfer radiation, and assessing the risks following low dose-rate exposures over years. The weakness of radiation epidemiology in directly studying low dose and low dose-rate exposures is that the signal, i.e. the excess numbers of cancers associated with low-level radiation exposure, is so very small that it cannot be seen against the very high background occurrence of cancer in the population, i.e. a lifetime risk of incidence reaching up to about 38% (i.e. 1 in 3 persons will develop a cancer in their lifetime). Thus, extrapolation models are used for the management of risk at low doses and low dose rates, but having adequate information from low dose and low dose-rate studies would be highly desirable. An overview of recently conducted radiation epidemiologic studies which evaluate risk following low-level radiation exposures is presented. Future improvements in risk assessment for radiation protection may come from increasingly informative epidemiologic studies, combined with mechanistic radiobiologic understanding of adverse outcome pathways, with both incorporated into biologically based models.

Implications of recent epidemiologic studies for the linear nonthreshold model and radiation protection.

The recently published NCRP Commentary No. 27 evaluated the new information from epidemiologic studies as to their degree of support for applying the linear nonthreshold (LNT) model of carcinogenic effects for radiation protection purposes (NCRP 2018 Implications of Recent Epidemiologic Studies for the Linear Nonthreshold Model and Radiation Protection, Commentary No. 27 (Bethesda, MD: National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements)). The aim was to determine whether recent epidemiologic studies of low-LET radiation, particularly those at low doses and/or low dose rates (LD/LDR), broadly support the LNT model of carcinogenic risk or, on the contrary, demonstrate sufficient evidence that the LNT model is inappropriate for the purposes of radiation protection. An updated review was needed because a considerable number of reports of radiation epidemiologic studies based on new or updated data have been published since other major reviews were conducted by national and international scientific committees. The Commentary provides a critical review of the LD/LDR studies that are most directly applicable to current occupational, environmental and medical radiation exposure circumstances. This Memorandum summarises several of the more important LD/LDR studies that incorporate radiation dose responses for solid cancer and leukemia that were reviewed in Commentary No. 27. In addition, an overview is provided of radiation studies of breast and thyroid cancers, and cancer after childhood exposures. Non-cancers are briefly touched upon such as ischemic heart disease, cataracts, and heritable genetic effects. To assess the applicability and utility of the LNT model for radiation protection, the Commentary evaluated 29 epidemiologic studies or groups of studies, primarily of total solid cancer, in terms of strengths and weaknesses in their epidemiologic methods, dosimetry approaches, and statistical modelling, and the degree to which they supported a LNT model for continued use in radiation protection. Recommendations for how to make epidemiologic radiation studies more informative are outlined. The NCRP Committee recognises that the risks from LD/LDR exposures are small and uncertain. The Committee judged that the available epidemiologic data were broadly supportive of the LNT model and that at this time no alternative dose-response relationship appears more pragmatic or prudent for radiation protection purposes.

Invited commentary: missing doses in the life span study of Japanese atomic bomb survivors.

The Life Span Study is a long-term epidemiologic cohort study of survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. In this issue of the Journal, Richardson et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2013;177(6):562-568) suggest that those who died in the earliest years of follow-up were more likely to have a missing dose of radiation exposure assigned, leading to a bias in the radiation risk estimates. We show that nearly all members of the cohort had shielding information recorded before the beginning of follow-up and that much of the alleged bias that Richardson et al. describe simply reflects the geographic distribution of shielding conditions for which reliable dosimetry was impossible.

Postmenopausal circulating levels of 2- and 16α-hydroxyestrone and risk of endometrial cancer.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that the relative importance of oestrogen-metabolising pathways may affect the risk of oestrogen-dependent tumours including endometrial cancer. One hypothesis is that the 2-hydroxy pathway is protective, whereas the 16α-hydroxy pathway is harmful. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study nested within three prospective cohorts to assess whether the circulating 2-hydroxyestrone : 16α-hydroxyestrone (2-OHE1 : 16α-OHE1) ratio is inversely associated with endometrial cancer risk in postmenopausal women. A total of 179 cases and 336 controls, matching cases on cohort, age and date of blood donation, were included. Levels of 2-OHE1 and 16α-OHE1 were measured using a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme assay. RESULTS: Endometrial cancer risk increased with increasing levels of both metabolites, with odds ratios in the top tertiles of 2.4 (95% CI=1.3, 4.6; P(trend)=0.007) for 2-OHE1 and 1.9 (95% CI=1.1, 3.5; P(trend)=0.03) for 16α-OHE1 in analyses adjusting for endometrial cancer risk factors. These associations were attenuated and no longer statistically significant after further adjustment for oestrone or oestradiol levels. No significant association was observed for the 2-OHE1 : 16α-OHE1 ratio. CONCLUSION: Our results do not support the hypothesis that greater metabolism of oestrogen via the 2-OH pathway, relative to the 16α-OH pathway, protects against endometrial cancer.

Circulating sex hormones and breast cancer risk factors in postmenopausal women: reanalysis of 13 studies.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer risk for postmenopausal women is positively associated with circulating concentrations of oestrogens and androgens, but the determinants of these hormones are not well understood. METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses of breast cancer risk factors and circulating hormone concentrations in more than 6000 postmenopausal women controls in 13 prospective studies. RESULTS: Concentrations of all hormones were lower in older than younger women, with the largest difference for dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), whereas sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) was higher in the older women. Androgens were lower in women with bilateral ovariectomy than in naturally postmenopausal women, with the largest difference for free testosterone. All hormones were higher in obese than lean women, with the largest difference for free oestradiol, whereas SHBG was lower in obese women. Smokers of 15+ cigarettes per day had higher levels of all hormones than non-smokers, with the largest difference for testosterone. Drinkers of 20+ g alcohol per day had higher levels of all hormones, but lower SHBG, than non-drinkers, with the largest difference for DHEAS. Hormone concentrations were not strongly related to age at menarche, parity, age at first full-term pregnancy or family history of breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Sex hormone concentrations were strongly associated with several established or suspected risk factors for breast cancer, and may mediate the effects of these factors on breast cancer risk.

Prevalence of adult-onset multifactorial disease among offspring of atomic bomb survivors.

The first study to examine whether parental radiation exposure leads to increased heritable risk of common adult-onset multifactorial diseases (i.e., hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, ischemic heart disease, and stroke) was conducted among 11,951 participants in the clinical examination program out of a potential of 24,673 mail survey subjects who were offspring of survivors born from May 1946 through December 1984. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated no evidence of an association between the prevalence of multifactorial diseases in the offspring and parental radiation exposure, after adjusting for age, city, gender and various risk factors. The odds ratio (OR) for a paternal dose of 1 Gy was 0.91 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81-1.01, P = 0.08], and that for a maternal dose of 1 Gy was 0.98 (95% CI 0.86-1.10, P = 0.71). There was no apparent effect of parental age at exposure or of elapsed time between parental exposure and birth, but male offspring had a low odds ratio (OR = 0.76 at 1 Gy) for paternal exposure, but cautious interpretation is needed for this finding. The clinical assessment of nearly 12,000 offspring of A-bomb survivors who have reached a median age of about 50 years provided no evidence for an increased prevalence of adult-onset multifactorial diseases in relation to parental radiation exposure.

Dosimetry for a study of low-dose radiation cataracts among Chernobyl clean-up workers.

A cohort of 8,607 Ukrainian Chernobyl clean-up workers during 1986-1987 was formed to study cataract formation after ionizing radiation exposure. Study eligibility required the availability of sufficient exposure information to permit the reconstruction of doses to the lens of the eye. Eligible groups included civilian workers, such as those who built the "sarcophagus" over the reactor, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Workers, and military reservists who were conscripted for clean-up work. Many of the official doses for workers were estimates, because only a minority wore radiation badges. For 106 military workers, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements of extracted teeth were compared with the recorded doses as the basis to adjust the recorded gamma-ray doses and provide estimates of uncertainties. Beta-particle doses to the lens were estimated with an algorithm devised to take into account the nature and location of Chernobyl work, time since the accident, and protective measures taken. A Monte Carlo routine generated 500 random estimates for each individual from the uncertainty distributions of the gamma-ray dose and of the ratio of beta-particle to gamma-ray doses. The geometric mean of the 500 combined beta-particle and gamma-ray dose estimates for each individual was used in the data analyses. The median estimated lens dose for the cohort was 123 mGy, while 4.4% received >500 mGy.

Cataracts among Chernobyl clean-up workers: implications regarding permissible eye exposures.

The eyes of a prospective cohort of 8,607 Chernobyl clean-up workers (liquidators) were assessed for cataract at 12 and 14 years after exposure. The prevalence of strictly age-related cataracts was low, as expected (only 3.9% had nuclear cataracts at either examination), since 90% of the cohort was younger than 55 years of age at first examination. However, posterior subcapsular or cortical cataracts characteristic of radiation exposure were present in 25% of the subjects. The data for Stage 1 cataracts, and specifically for posterior subcapsular cataracts, revealed a significant dose response. When various cataract end points were analyzed for dose thresholds, the confidence intervals all excluded values greater than 700 mGy. Linear-quadratic dose-response models yielded mostly linear associations, with weak evidence of upward curvature. The findings do not support the ICRP 60 risk guideline assumption of a 5-Gy threshold for "detectable opacities" from protracted exposures but rather point to a dose-effect threshold of under 1 Gy. Thus, given that cataract is the dose-limiting ocular pathology in current eye risk guidelines, revision of the allowable exposure of the human visual system to ionizing radiation should be considered.

An industry-wide study of respiratory cancer in chemical workers exposed to chloromethyl ethers.

An industry-wide retrospective cohort mortality study was conducted on 6,152 chemical workers (2,460 exposed and 3,692 nonexposed) engaged in chloromethyl ether manufacture at 7 major U.S. companies between 1948 and 1980. A previous study at 6 companies from 1948 through 1972 reported excess respiratory cancer (RC) mortality and significant exposure-response relationships in exposed workers at 1 company (company 2). The present study, which extended follow-up of an additional 7 years for companies 1-6 and included company 7 for follow-up from 1953 through 1980, found excess RC mortality in exposed workers at company 2 [observed (Obs) = 32, standardized mortality ratio (SMR) = 430] and company 7 (Obs = 9, SMR = 603). External comparisons of RC mortality at both companies showed significant exposure-response relationships with respect to cumulative time-weighted exposure. At company 2, where the greatest number of RC deaths occurred, external comparisons showed that RC risk remained constant in relation to age at first exposure and decreased with increasing time since last exposure. With the use of Mantel-Haenszel and relative risk (RR) regression methods, internal comparisons at company 2 demonstrated significant findings of increasing RR with cumulative duration of exposure and cumulative time-weighted exposure and with decreasing time since last exposure. No association was found between RR and age at first exposure. An interesting finding was a significant negative interaction between cumulative time-weighted exposure and age at risk. The best-fitting logistic regression model for the exposed group predicted RR at 2.79 (95% confidence interval = 1.66-4.69) for workers with the mean cumulative exposure score of the 32 RC deaths (lagged by 6 yr) compared with those with negligible exposure (assuming mean age at risk of the RC deaths, 51 years old, and time since last exposure held constant). Qualitative assessment of the results suggests that chloromethyl ether exposure affects both an early as well as a late stage of a putative multistage respiratory malignant process.

Breast cancer among women given X-ray therapy for acute postpartum mastitis.

Acute postpartum mastitis (APM) is an inflammatory-infectious condition of the breast, occurring commonly at childbirth or during lactation. A series of 601 women who received x-ray therapy for APM during the 1940's or 1950's have been followed up by mail questionnaire, with medical verification of pertinent conditions, to ascertain their incidences of breast cancer. Control subjects consisted of a series with APM who did not receive irradiation, plus the female siblings of both the APM groups, for a total of 1,239 controls. The groups have been followed up to 45 years; the average was 29 years. The relative risk (RR) for breast cancer, adjusted for age and interval since irradiation (or an equivalent entry definition for controls), was 3.2 for the irradiated breasts; the 90% confidence interval (CI) was 2.3-4.3. For a linear multiplicative model, the risk increased by 0.4% per rad (90% Cl of 0.2-0.7). The dose-response curve appeared to be essentially linear, except for a diminution of risk at high doses (greater than or equal to 700 rad). The fact that there were no treated breasts with doses between 0 and 60 rad, however, means that it was not possible to evaluate the curvature with the maximum contrast between low and high doses. The dose fractionation analyses showed that neither the number of dose fractions, the number of days between fractions, nor the dose per fraction had any apparent effect on breast cancer risk when the variables were analyzed separately. Similarly, when the fractionation variables were considered jointly in a Cox regression analysis, none was significant once total breast dose was controlled for. Analyses of age at irradiation did not show appreciable differences between age groups, although the numbers were too small to be clear-cut (only 64 women greater than 34 yr old at irradiation). Other studies have shown diminished risk associated with an older age at irradiation. The lack of diminished risk in this study may occur because during pregnancy and lactation the breasts are under increased proliferative stimulation by hormones, by comparison with the normal condition of breasts at older ages. An analysis of the temporal relationship of radiation to breast cancer showed that the RR did not vary systematically with interval since irradiation, but the absolute risk increased over time. This finding agrees with other studies that have also suggested a better fit for the multiplicative model.

Thyroid tumors following thymus irradiation.

About 2,650 persons who received X-ray treatment for purported enlarged thymuses in infancy and 4,800 sibling controls have been followed by mail questionnaire for an average of 29 years to observe their incidence of thyroid tumors. The follow-up rate in the latest survey was 88% in both groups. The radiation doses to the thyroid gland ranged from 5 to over 1,000 rad, with 62% receiving less than 50 rad. To date 30 thyroid cancers and 59 benign thyroid adenomas have been detected in the irradiated group, as compared with 1 thyroid cancer and 8 adenomas in the control group. The relative risks in the irradiated group were about 45 for thyroid cancer and 15 for benign thyroid adenomas. The dose-response curve for thyroid cancer was essentially linear, although a linear-quadratic curve could not be ruled out. For thyroid adenomas the risk per rad was somewhat greater at lower doses than at high doses. For both thyroid cancers and adenomas the absolute excess risk per rad was two to three times as great in females as males. Within the limitations imposed by the treatment regimens and the sample size, there was no indication of a "sparing" effect due to dose fractionation for either thyroid cancers or adenomas. There was an excess risk for both malignant and benign thyroid tumors for at least 40 years post irradiation. For thyroid cancer the radiogenic risk appeared to be additive with respect to time, rather than the age-specific natural rates of cancer being multiplied.

A case-control study of hair dye use and breast cancer.

A case-control study of the relationship between hair dye use and breast cancer included 129 breast cancer patients and 193 control women drawn from the records of a multiphasic screening clinic. Information was obtained by telephone interview on a number of risk factors for breast cancer and on variables pertaining to hair dye use: chronologic time, duration, frequency, type, and color. From this, quantitative measures of cumulative hair dye use at various intervals prior to breast cancer (or an equivalent for controls) were obtained. A multivariate risk factor score was used to control for confounding variables. The adjusted relative risks for breast cancer versus hair dye use were greater than unity but were not generally significant. However, integral measures of hair dye use (No. of yr times frequency per yr) were significantly related to breast cancer when confounding variables were controlled. The association between hair dye use and breast cancer was greatest among women over 50 years of age and among those at lower natural risk for breast cancer. An analysis of temporal patterns showed that breast cancer was related mainly to hair dye use 10 or more years before cancer diagnosis. Because of the retrospective nature of the hair dye data and the small sample size, these results require further validation.

Breast cancer risk from low-dose exposures to ionizing radiation: results of parallel analysis of three exposed populations of women.

Breast cancer incidence data were analyzed from three populations of women exposed to ionizing radiation: survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs, patients in Massachusetts tuberculosis sanitoria who were exposed to multiple chest fluoroscopies, and patients treated by X-rays for acute postpartum mastitis in Rochester, New York. Parallel analyses by radiation dose, age at exposure, and time after exposure suggested that risk of radiation-induced cancer increased approximately linearly with increasing dose and was heavily dependent on age at exposure; however, the risk was otherwise remarkably similar among the three population, at least for age 10-40 years at exposure, and followed the same temporal pattern of occurrence as did breast cancer incidence in nonexposed women of similar ages.

Serum C-peptide, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF-binding proteins, and colorectal cancer risk in women.

BACKGROUND: Leading a Western lifestyle, being overweight, and being sedentary are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Recent theories propose that the effects of these risk factors may be mediated by increases in circulating insulin levels and in the bioactivity of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a case-control study nested within a cohort of 14 275 women in New York. METHODS: We used blood samples that had been obtained from these women from March 1985 through June 1991 and stored in a biorepository. C-peptide (a marker for insulin secretion), IGF-I, and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs)-1, -2, and -3 were assayed in the serum of 102 women who subsequently developed colorectal cancer and 200 matched control subjects. Logistic regression was used to relate cancer risk to these peptide levels, by adjustment for other risk factors. All statistical tests used are two-sided. RESULTS: Colorectal cancer risk increased with increasing levels of C-peptide (P:(trend) =.001), up to an odds ratio (OR) of 2. 92 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26-6.75) for the highest versus the lowest quintiles, after adjustment for smoking. For colon cancer alone (75 case subjects and 146 control subjects), ORs increased up to 3.96 (95% CI = 1.49-10.50; P:(trend) <.001) for the highest versus the lowest quintiles. A statistically significant decrease in colorectal cancer risk was observed for increasing levels of IGFBP-1 (P:(trend) =.02; OR in the upper quintile = 0.48 [95% CI = 0.23-1. 00]), as well as for the highest quintile of IGFBP-2 levels (P:(trend) =.06; OR = 0.38 [95% CI = 0.15-0.94]). Colorectal cancer risk showed a modest but statistically nonsignificant positive association with levels of IGF-I and was statistically significantly increased for the highest quintile of IGFBP-3 (OR = 2.46 [95% CI = 1. 09-5.57]). CONCLUSIONS: Chronically high levels of circulating insulin and IGFs associated with a Western lifestyle may increase colorectal cancer risk, possibly by decreasing IGFBP-1 and increasing the bioactivity of IGF-I.

A prospective study of endogenous estrogens and breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Circumstantial evidence links endogenous estrogens to increased risk of breast cancer in women, but direct epidemiologic support is limited. In particular, only a few small prospective studies have addressed this issue. PURPOSE: Our purpose was to assess breast cancer risk in relation to circulating levels of the two major endogenous estrogens, estrone and estradiol, measured before the clinical onset of the disease. METHODS: The association between serum levels of estrogens and the risk of breast cancer was examined in a prospective cohort study of 14,291 New York City women, 35-65 years of age, who received screening for breast cancer at the time of blood sampling and who had not been diagnosed with breast cancer. During the first 5 1/2 years of study, we identified 130 breast cancers among the postmenopausal group (7063 women, 35,509 person-years). The case subjects and twice as many postmenopausal control subjects were included in a case-control study nested within the cohort. Biochemical analyses for percent free estradiol, percent estradiol bound to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), total estradiol, estrone, and follicle-stimulating hormone were performed on sera that had been kept at -80 degrees C since sampling. RESULTS: For increasing quartiles of total estradiol, the odds ratio (ORs) of breast cancer, as adjusted for Quetelet index (weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters), were 1.0, 0.9, 1.8, and 1.8 (P value for trend = .06); the ORs for increasing quartiles of estrone were 1.0, 2.2, 3.7, and 2.5 (P value for trend = .06). For increasing quartiles of free estradiol, defined as the fraction of estradiol that is not bound to proteins, the Quetelet index-adjusted ORs of breast cancer were 1.0, 1.4, 3.0, and 2.9 (P value for trend < .01). When we considered the percent of estradiol bound to SHBG, the Quetelet index-adjusted ORs were 1.0, 0.70, 0.40, and 0.32 (P value for trend < .01), thus suggesting a strong protective effect. These associations persisted or became even stronger when analyses were restricted to women whose samples had been drawn 2 or more years before breast cancer diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: These data represent the first confirmation in a large prospective epidemiologic study of a link between circulating estrogens and breast cancer risk. Although estrogen levels appeared to fall within the conventional limits of normality in all women under study, those who subsequently developed breast cancer tended to show higher levels of estrone, total estradiol, and free estradiol, and a lower percent of estradiol bound to SHBG than women who remained free of cancer. IMPLICATIONS: Factors that increase endogenous estrogen production or reduce the binding of estradiol to SHBG may increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

Breast neoplasms in women treated with x-rays for acute postpartum mastitis.

Breast cancer has been studied by mail survey up to 34 years in 571 of 606 women treated with x-rays for acute postpartum mastitis. The incidence of neoplasms was compared with that of three nonirradiated control groups--nonirradiated sisters of the treated women, women with acute postpartum mastitis not treated with X-rays, and their nonirradiated sisters. For the irradiated group, with mean dose of 247 rads to both breasts, the overall relative risk of breast cancer was 2.2 for years 10-34 post irradiation and 3.6 for years 20-34. The dose response for malignant and benign breast neoplasms was compatible with a linear fit. For comparable total doses, fractionation of exposure did not reduce carcinogenic action. Women over age 30 years at radiation treatment had as great an excess risk of breast cancer as did younger women. The overall excess risk of developing breast cancer was about 8-10 cases per million women per rad per year, an increase of about 0.5% per rad.

Second cancers following oral and pharyngeal cancers: role of tobacco and alcohol.

BACKGROUND: The exceptionally high rate of second primary cancers among patients with oral and pharyngeal cancers is well recognized, yet there has been limited epidemiologic study of risk factors for second tumors. PURPOSE: To evaluate the relation of smoking and alcohol consumption to the development of second cancers among this high-risk patient group, we conducted a nested case-control study. METHODS: A total of 1090 patients enrolled in a 1984-1985 population-based, case-control study of oral cancer in four areas of the United States were followed through June 1989 for the occurrence of second primary cancers. Information on tobacco and alcohol consumption was obtained from the original interviews and was updated by follow-up interviews obtained for 80 case patients with second cancers and 189 sex-, study area-, and survival-matched cancer patients free of second cancers (control subjects). RESULTS: Tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking each contributed to risk of second cancers, with the effects of smoking more pronounced than those of alcohol. The odds ratios (ORs) for smoking (adjusted for alcohol) rose with duration and intensity of smoking and were strongest for tumors of the aerodigestive tract (oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, larynx, and lungs), with ORs reaching 4.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4-16) among smokers of 40 or more cigarettes per day for 20 or more years. Current smokers as of the baseline survey experienced a fourfold increased risk of a second aerodigestive tract cancer relative to nonsmokers and former smokers. No reduction in risk was associated with cessation of smoking or drinking at or after the index diagnosis, although the short median interval (27 months) between tumor diagnoses limited observation of the effects due to recent cessation. Risk was significantly reduced, however, 5 years after smoking cessation. Among drinkers, second cancer risk was greatest for beer intake, with an OR for a second aerodigestive tract cancer of 3.8 (95% CI = 1.2-12) for 15 or more beers per week. CONCLUSIONS: Oral and pharyngeal cancer patients with the highest intakes of tobacco and alcohol are the ones most prone to develop second primary cancers. IMPLICATIONS: Avoidance of tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking is the most desirable way not only to prevent primary oral cancers, but also to reduce risk of second cancers of the aerodigestive system.

Dose-rate effects in radiation biology and radiation protection.

Quantification of biological effects (cancer, other diseases, and cell damage) associated with exposure to ionising radiation has been a major issue for the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) since its foundation in 1928. While there is a wealth of information on the effects on human health for whole-body doses above approximately 100 mGy, the effects associated with doses below 100 mGy are still being investigated and debated intensively. The current radiological protection approach, proposed by ICRP for workers and the public, is largely based on risks obtained from high-dose and high-dose-rate studies, such as the Japanese Life Span Study on atomic bomb survivors. The risk coefficients obtained from these studies can be reduced by the dose and dose-rate effectiveness factor (DDREF) to account for the assumed lower effectiveness of low-dose and low-dose-rate exposures. The 2007 ICRP Recommendations continue to propose a value of 2 for DDREF, while other international organisations suggest either application of different values or abandonment of the factor. This paper summarises the current status of discussions, and highlights issues that are relevant to reassessing the magnitude and application of DDREF.

A report from the 2013 international symposium: the evaluation of the effects of low-dose radiation exposure in the life span study of atomic bomb survivors and other similar studies.

The RERF International Low-Dose Symposium was held on 5-6 December 2013 at the RERF campus in Hiroshima, Japan, to discuss the issues facing the Life Span Study (LSS) and other low-dose studies. Topics included the current status of low-dose risk detection, strategies for low-dose epidemiological and statistical research, methods to improve communication between epidemiologists and biologists, and the current status of radiological studies and tools. Key points made by the participants included the necessity of pooling materials over multiple studies to gain greater insight where data from single studies are insufficient; generating models that reflect epidemiological, statistical, and biological principles simultaneously; understanding confounders and effect modifiers in the current data; and taking into consideration less studied factors such as the impact of dose rate. It is the hope of all participants that this symposium be used as a trigger for further studies, especially those using pooled data, in order to reach a greater understanding of the health effects of low-dose radiation.