Lung and extrathoracic cancer incidence among underground uranium miners exposed to radon progeny in the Príbram region of the Czech Republic: a case-cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Radon is carcinogenic, but more studies are needed to understand relationships with lung cancer and extrathoracic cancers at low exposures. There are few studies evaluating associations with cancer incidence or assessing the modifying effects of smoking. METHODS: We conducted a case-cohort study with 16 434 underground uranium miners in the Czech Republic with cancer incidence follow-up 1977-1996. Associations between radon exposure and lung cancer, and extrathoracic cancer, were estimated with linear excess relative rate (ERR) models. We examined potential modifying effects of smoking, time since exposure and exposure rate. RESULTS: Under a simple ERR model, assuming a 5-year exposure lag, the estimated ERR of lung cancer per 100 working level months (WLM) was 0.54 (95% CI 0.33 to 0.83) and the estimated ERR of extrathoracic cancer per 100 WLM was 0.07 (95% CI -0.17 to 0.72). Most lung cancer cases were observed among smokers (82%), and the estimated ERR of lung cancer per 100 WLM was larger among smokers (ERR/100 WLM=1.35; 95% CI 0.84 to 2.15) than among never smokers (ERR/100 WLM=0.12; 95% CI -0.05 to 0.49). Among smokers, the estimated ERR of lung cancer per 100 WLM decreased with time since exposure from 3.07 (95% CI -0.04 to 10.32) in the period 5-14 years after exposure to 1.05 (95% CI 0.49 to 1.87) in the period 25+ years after exposure. CONCLUSIONS: We observed positive associations between cumulative radon exposure and lung cancer, consistent with prior studies. We observed a positive association between cumulative radon exposure and extrathoracic cancers, although the estimates were small. There was evidence that the association between radon and lung cancer was modified by smoking in a multiplicative or super-multiplicative fashion.

Perceptions about malaria among Brazilian gold miners in an Amazonian border area: perspectives for malaria elimination strategies.

BACKGROUND: Mining in the Amazon exposes gold miners to various diseases, including malaria, whose control is still a major challenge. The environment of the mines contributes to the proliferation of vector mosquitoes and the precarious housing conditions facilitate transmission of the disease. Understanding gold miners' perceptions is essential for the formulation of strategies to fight malaria. A qualitative study was carried out in the municipality of Calçoene, state of Amapá, Brazilian Amazon adjointining the municipality of Oiapoque, that is in the border area with French Guiana and Suriname. METHODS: A semi-structured interview was applied to an intentional sample of 29 miners, a number determined by the theoretical saturation criterion. Thematic analysis was adopted to obtain the results and the Cohen's Kappa index was calculated to verify the agreement between observers during coding. RESULTS: The agreement between observers was verified by a Cohen's Kappa index of 0.82. Analysis of the interviews showed that gold miners were subjected to prejudice from the community due to forest diseases that they can transmit, and their activities are often associated with crime. When the miners return to their hometown after a period of mining, the urban population blames them for the onset of diseases such as malaria. Most participants in the survey did not know how malaria transmission occurs, and associated its occurrence with contaminated water and food. Participants reported not being afraid of the disease, trusting the diagnosis and available treatment, though this depends on where they are treated. The use of therapeutic resources, such as medicinal plants and medicines acquired in the illegal market, is very common in this population. Despite the challenges identified by the research subjects, they believe that the disease can be controlled, or the cases reduced, but there was low acceptability for a possible mass drug administration (MDA) intervention. CONCLUSION: Despite a recent reduction in malaria prevalence in Brazil, there are still vulnerable populations, such as gold miners, who help to perpetuate the existence of the disease in the Amazon. The lack of knowledge regarding how the transmission of malaria occurs, associated with myths regarding this and the use of traditional health practices and illegal drugs for the treatment of the disease without a specific diagnosis, jeopardizes the country's efforts to eliminate malaria. It is necessary to implement control programmes in these populations, especially those who frequently travel around the border region and to remote locations, which are difficult regions for health teams to access, thus hindering diagnostic and treatment actions. For this reason, understanding the perceptions of these individuals as well as their customs, beliefs and lifestyle, can assist in the production of targeted educational material and adoption of strategies in the elimination of malaria in the country.

Hipovitaminose D e índices glicêmicos em trabalhadores de turno alternante de empresa de mineração / Hypovitaminosis D and glycemic index in individuals working in rotate shifts of a mining company

Objetivo: Demonstrar a prevalência da hipovitaminose D em trabalhadores de turno de uma empresa de mineração e verificar se, nesta população, há correlação entre as variáveis glicêmicas (hemoglobina glicada e glicemia de jejum) e os níveis séricos de vitamina D. Métodos: Estudo transversal observacional realizado por 2 anos consecutivos com trabalhadores de turno. No primeiro ano, foram analisados os níveis séricos de vitamina D (25(OH)D) e glicemia de jejum, excluindo indivíduos que realizavam tratamento para controle glicêmico, suplementação de vitamina D e/ou participantes do sexo feminino, totalizando 548 trabalhadores. No ano seguinte, foram selecionados da amostra anterior apenas os indivíduos que apresentaram hipovitaminose D (25(OH) D<30ng/mL). Nestes, foram analisados os níveis de 25(OH)D, glicemia de jejum e hemoglobina glicada. Foram aplicados o teste de normalidade Kolmogorov-Smirnov e a correlação de Spearman. Resultados: A idade média dos participantes foi de 38,2 anos. No primeiro ano, 80,8% dos trabalhadores apresentaram hipovitaminose D e 10,8% apresentavam glicemia de jejum fora dos níveis de normalidade. Dentre a amostra do ano seguinte, 81,1% permaneceram com hipovitaminose D, 18,2% apresentaram glicemia de jejum fora dos níveis de normalidade e 15,8% apresentaramhemoglobina glicada alterada. Não foram encontradas correlações significativas entre a 25(OH)D e a glicemia de jejum e hemoglobina glicada. Conclusão: Foi observada alta prevalência de hipovitaminose nos trabalhadores de turno. Diferentemente de outros estudos, não foram encontradas correlações significativas entre as variáveis glicêmicas e a concentração sérica da vitamina D. (AU)

Objective: To demonstrate the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in shift workers of a mining company, and to check whether, in this population, there is a correlation between glycemic variables (glycosylated hemoglobin and fasting plasma glucose)- and serum levels of vitamin D. Methods: These are cross-sectional observational studies performed in two consecutive years with shift workers. In the first year, the serum levels of vitamin D (25(OH)D) and fasting plasma glucose were analyzed, with people who underwent treatment for glycemic control, vitamin D supplementation, and/or female participants being excluded, totalizing 548 workers. In the following year, only those individuals who presented hypovitaminosis D (25 (OH) D <30 ng/dL) were selected from the previous sample. The levels of 25 (OH) D, fasting plasma glucose, and HbA1C of these individuals were analyzed. The Kolmorogov-Smirnov normality test and the Spearman correlation were applied. Results: Th e m ean a ge o f participants was 38.2 years. In the first year, 80.8% (n=442) of the workers presented hypovitaminosis D, and 10.8% had fasting plasma glucose out of normal levels. Among the sample of the following year, 81.1% remained with hypovitaminosis D, 18.2% (n=51) had fasting glycemia out of normal levels, and 15.8% (n=44) had altered glycosylated hemoglobin. Conclusion: A high prevalence of hypovitaminosis in shift workers was observed. Differently from other studies, no significant correlations were found between glycemic variables and serum vitamin D concentration. (AU)

Low radon exposure and mortality among Jouac uranium miners: an update of the French cohort (1946-2007).

After the extension of the French cohort of uranium miners with the inclusion of workers employed in the Jouac mines, this article seeks to describe the new Jouac cohort and to estimate mortality risks, as well as to quantify their relation to radon exposure in this extended cohort. The Jouac cohort includes 458 miners hired by the Société des Mines de Jouac between 1957 and 2001. There is no measurement of radon exposure before 1978 and so no data were available. Consequently, only the post-1977 Jouac cohort (n = 314) has been included in the French cohort, creating an extended cohort of 5400 French uranium miners followed up from 1946 to 2007. Mortality analyses computed the standardised mortality ratios (SMRs). Excess relative risks (ERRs) were assessed using Poisson regression models. No evidence of a significant excess risk of overall mortality (n = 66, SMR = 0.93; 95% CI = 0.72-1.19) or any specific mortality was observed in the Jouac cohort. In the extended cohort, overall mortality did not increase, but a significant excess of deaths was observed for all cancers (SMR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.03-1.19), lung cancer (SMR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.14-1.51), and kidney cancer (SMR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.01-2.35). Cumulative exposure to radon was 3.9 working level month (WLM) and 35.1 WLM in the post-1977 Jouac and extended cohorts, respectively. Cumulative radon exposure was significantly associated with an excess risk of death from lung cancer (ERR/100 WLM = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.32-1.33) and from cerebrovascular diseases (ERR/100 WLM = 0.42 95% CI = 0.04-1.04). In conclusion, the Jouac cohort is still a young cohort and its inclusion leads to slight modifications compared to previous analyses of the French cohort. The already known relation between radon exposure and lung cancer death as well as the excess risk of death from cerebrovascular diseases persisted in the extended cohort.

[Preventing cardiovascular risk in miners].

The article presents results concerning usage of intravenous laser radiation of blood in miners with cardiovascular diseases. After cardiovascular state assessment, the miners at high cardiovascular risk were subjected to prophylactic procedures with traditional medical treatment added by intravenous laser therapy. Findings are anti-arrhythmic, antihypertensive, antiatherogenic and anti-aggregation effects of complex treatment with intravenous laser radiation of blood in miners at high cardiovascular risk and its subsequent decrease due to treatment.