Mortality among a cohort of workers monitored for 210Po exposure: 1944-1972. 1991

L D Wiggs, and C A Cox-DeVore, and G L Voelz
Epidemiology Section, Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM 87545.

This study represents the largest epidemiologic investigation of humans exposed to the radionuclide 210Po. In a cohort of 4402 white males employed by the Mound Facility, during the period when Po operations were conducted (1944-1972), no excess mortality was observed. Among workers initially hired during World War II, mortality was elevated, especially for deaths from all cancers, cancers of the lung, and cancers of the rectum. These adverse health events do not appear related to exposure to 210Po. Among workers monitored for 210Po, mortality was significantly less than expected, although more lung cancers were observed than expected. No significant dose-response trends were identified for all causes combined, all cancers combined, or for cause-specific cancers among the Po-monitored subcohort. Continued follow-up of this cohort is planned.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008991 Monitoring, Physiologic The continuous measurement of physiological processes, blood pressure, heart rate, renal output, reflexes, respiration, etc., in a patient or experimental animal; includes pharmacologic monitoring, the measurement of administered drugs or their metabolites in the blood, tissues, or urine. Patient Monitoring,Monitoring, Physiological,Physiologic Monitoring,Monitoring, Patient,Physiological Monitoring
D009369 Neoplasms New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms. Benign Neoplasm,Cancer,Malignant Neoplasm,Tumor,Tumors,Benign Neoplasms,Malignancy,Malignant Neoplasms,Neoplasia,Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Benign,Cancers,Malignancies,Neoplasias,Neoplasm, Benign,Neoplasm, Malignant,Neoplasms, Malignant
D009516 New Mexico State bounded on the north by Colorado, on the east by Oklahoma and Texas, on the south by Texas and Mexico, and on the west by Arizona.
D011059 Polonium A radioactive element that is a member of the chalcogen family. It has the atomic symbol Po, atomic number 84, and the atomic weight of the isotope with the longest half-life (209Po) is 208.98. It decays by alpha-emission.
D004307 Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation The relationship between the dose of administered radiation and the response of the organism or tissue to the radiation. Dose Response Relationship, Radiation,Dose-Response Relationships, Radiation,Radiation Dose-Response Relationship,Radiation Dose-Response Relationships,Relationship, Radiation Dose-Response,Relationships, Radiation Dose-Response
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D015331 Cohort Studies Studies in which subsets of a defined population are identified. These groups may or may not be exposed to factors hypothesized to influence the probability of the occurrence of a particular disease or other outcome. Cohorts are defined populations which, as a whole, are followed in an attempt to determine distinguishing subgroup characteristics. Birth Cohort Studies,Birth Cohort Study,Closed Cohort Studies,Cohort Analysis,Concurrent Studies,Historical Cohort Studies,Incidence Studies,Analysis, Cohort,Cohort Studies, Closed,Cohort Studies, Historical,Studies, Closed Cohort,Studies, Concurrent,Studies, Historical Cohort,Analyses, Cohort,Closed Cohort Study,Cohort Analyses,Cohort Studies, Birth,Cohort Study,Cohort Study, Birth,Cohort Study, Closed,Cohort Study, Historical,Concurrent Study,Historical Cohort Study,Incidence Study,Studies, Birth Cohort,Studies, Cohort,Studies, Incidence,Study, Birth Cohort,Study, Closed Cohort,Study, Cohort,Study, Concurrent,Study, Historical Cohort,Study, Incidence
D016273 Occupational Exposure The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents that occurs as a result of one's occupation. Exposure, Occupational,Exposures, Occupational,Occupational Exposures

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