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. 2018 Oct 5;13(10):e0205060.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205060. eCollection 2018.

Risk of malignant skin neoplasms in a cohort of workers occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation at low dose rates

Tamara V Azizova  1 , Maria V Bannikova  1 , Evgeniya S Grigoryeva  1 , Valentina L Rybkina  1
Affiliations

Risk of malignant skin neoplasms in a cohort of workers occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation at low dose rates

Tamara V Azizova et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Recently an increasing trend in skin cancer rates has been observed in various populations including those exposed to different radiation types. Risk and dose-response following prolonged radiation exposure remain unclear. The present study was aimed to assess skin melanoma (SM) and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) incidence risks in a cohort of workers occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation at low dose rates over prolonged periods. The study cohort included workers of a Russian nuclear production facility, Mayak Production Association (PA), who were first employed in 1948-1982 and followed up till the end of 2013 (the total of 22,377 individuals with 25% of females). Using AMFIT module of EPICURE software, relative risk and excess relative risk per unit dose (RR and ERR/Sv) were calculated. 60 SM and 294 NMSC cases were registered in members of the study cohort. SM and NMSC incidence was dependent on sex, attained age, age at first employment at the enterprise, type of facility, education level and was not dependent on calendar period of first employment, calendar period of diagnosis, duration of employment, smoking and alcohol consumption statuses. The risk of NMSC incidence was found to be significantly increased in workers occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation at cumulative doses above 2.0 Sv (RR = 2.52; 95% CI: 1.60, 3.97) compared to a reference dose category (0-0.05 Sv). NMSC incidence was found to be significantly associated with cumulative external gamma-dose with ERR/Sv of 0.49 (95% CI: 0.22, 0.90) without an adjustment for neutron dose and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.22, 0.93) while adjusted for neutron dose. Results of the analysis did not reveal a significant association of SM incidence with cumulative dose from external gamma-rays with ERR/Sv of 0.22 (95% CI: -0.29, 1.46) not including a neutron dose adjustment and of 0.15 (95% CI: -0.41, 1.31) while adjusted for dose from neutron exposure.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Distributions of workers from the study cohort depending on cumulative dose from external gamma-rays.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Average annual dose from external gamma-rays by calendar period.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Distributions of workers from the study cohort depending on cumulative dose from neutrons.
Fig 4
Fig 4
Standardized incidence rates of SM (a) and NMSC (b) in the study worker cohort.
Fig 5
Fig 5
Relative risk of SM (a) and NMSC (b) incidence by cumulative dose from external gamma-rays.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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