Sex in a Mormon Pooulation Residing in Southwestern Utah Exposed to Radioactive Fallout Compared With Cancer Incidence tor All Utah Mormons *
Moneme
19671975,
Male Mormons in the High-Fallout Area!
1988-1966 ¢
1972-1975
Rate+
Rate
283
28.3
294
27.4
53
5
45.6
5.2
318
20.3
73
5
6.9
23.4
4
t.2
13.9
9.4
21.0
0.7
1.9
16.7
10.1
0
0
3
2
0
0
1.7
42
9.4
43.1
12
13.8
91.4
5.6
49
1.1
180.0
161.6
0.660
15.6
136.3
12.8
11.7
11.3
121.9
187.7
0.864
+52.8%
Obeerved§ Expected§
3
29
2
2
2s
18
24
_
1958-1966
58.1
7.0
205
5.3
410
12.8
a5¢
2
3
1.5
2.1
Lee
oO
a
14.0‘
13.2
0
22.6
3
3
_
s¥
2.0
48
vee
0.4
4.8
18.4
616
5.5
51.5
17.7
56.9
31.9
6g
3
8
6g
0.68
3.1
8.6
1.0
2.8
37.0
ag
2.0
6.4
40.4
7E
1.1
0.2
22.1
24
18.6
141.8
190.8
0.759
4
31
4
1
4¢
33
42
+34.1%
3.4
21.1
1.2
1.3
0.3
35.0
37.8
7.8
111.9
5.8
4.6
0.5
82.3
93.1
1.202
4.9
216.1
5.3
18.2
§.5
164.9
193.9
1.144
Observed Expected
1
33¢
1
3
1
27¢
324
—7.3%
1972-1980
_
Rate
16.2
137.2
18.9
3.7
Observed Expected
Mormons
1967-1975
Rate
2.8
17.5
0.9
0.8
Rate
Female Mormons in the High-Faiiout Ares
32.5
44
Rate
432
5.6
4.1
1.6
20.4
1.1
0.7
0.1
13.5
15.4
11.0
$4.0
118.5
48.5
19.6
25.0
276.3
20.1
12.4
4.0
119.2
155.7
1.778
Observed Expected
974
1
46.0
0.9
1
0.5
2
11"
27¢
9€
0.9
3.7
14.0
1.3
4
1.3
6H
61g
52
3
1
27
364
1.9
24.5
1.4
1.1
0.1
18.8
21.2
+47.7%
* Radioactive fallout occurring from atmospheric detonations of nuctear weapons at the Nevada Test Site between 19451 and 1962. Data have been adjusted for age and
80x; age adjustment for the three populations by the direct method with the 1970 US white population as the standard (JAC! 1980:65: 1169).
TA” classes of cancer (of thre more radiosensitive organs) are those found in excess among the survrors of the nuclear bomb detonations at Hiroshima and Nagasaki:
leukemia, lymphoma, cancer of thyroid gland, lung, esophagus {inctuded here are other cancers of the upper gastrointestinal [Gi] tract 141-150), stomach, coion, and
breaat.
$Al raten are average annual age-adjuated incidence of cancer per 100.000.
§The number of cases observed is compared with the number expected. Expected case numbera were calculated by the following approach: the number of cases in each
class times the average annus! age-adjusted cancer incidence rate for Utah Mormons divided by the average age-adjusted cancer incidence rate for the study population
(Environ Rea 1981.25.86).
,
i Migh-tattout areas consist of the St George area, Parowan, Peragonsh, and Kanab, Utah; Fredonia, Ariz: and Bunkervilie, Nev. For some cases dates of diagnosis of
cancer were not recalled with certainty. These were allocated to the broad time penods indicated in the table above. Those not clearly failing in a time period were assigned
to a time period in the sequence in which they appeared, with conservative effect, ie, asaigned equaily to the earty (1958 through 1966), interim (1967 through 1971), and
intermediate (1972 through 1980) time periods. The interim penod was not studied because the design is to compare an early period with a jater penod.
Qindicates significant at P=.01.
# indicates significant at P= 05 (two-tailed teat'*).
brain tumors were found in the early
period of this investigation, slightly
more in males than females. Females
had a slight excess of brain tumors in
the later period. Throughout both
periods there were five more brain
tumors than expected. Plutonium and
other actinides are known to be able
to induce bone cancer, and a signifi-
cant (P=.01) excess of this cancer was
found both in early and later periods.
Although females had a slight excess
of bone cancer, males had the most
cases, and a larger numberof cases in
the later period than earlier. In total,
there were eight cases of bone cancer,
and 0.7 cases were expected.
The lower range of whole-body
radiation associated with fallout
symptoms is about 50 rad, and the
subgroup of 134 men and 105 women
with a history of fallout effects probably had much larger doses of radiation than did the rest. That this is
true is supported by the high ageJAMA, Jan 13,
1984—Vol 251, No. 2
adjusted incidence of cancer found for
this group. In general, this group has
excess numbers of cancer in the
classes found to be in excess for the
group as a whole, but proportionately
greater.
Comparison of the ratio of cases of
cancer known to be in excess for the
survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
with all other classes of cancer can
help to confirm that the excess incidence of cancer in a population
exposed to radiation is actually
related to this exposure." In this
investigation, this comparison provides assurance that the excess incidence of cancer is actually caused by
the exposures to radioactive fallout.
No other explanations for these
effects were discovered in the investigation, ie, smoking, occupational history, or industrial point sources of
carcinogens.
The temporal trend of excess incidence of cancer seems to be consistent
with the experience of the Japanese
survivors, considering that the exposures to the southwestern Utah group
began six years later and were sustained during a 12-year period and, to
a lesser extent, during a subsequent
18-year period. The Japanese survivors have had a sudden acceleration
of the increase in the cancer death
rate, by about 2.4 times in the period
1972 to 1976." It seems probable that
the largest increment of cancer in
Utah is yet to come. Additional study
periods (ie, 1981 through 1990, 1991
through 2000, and 2001 through 2010)
are necessary to evaluate this later
phase of cancer induction. A survey of
chromosomal aberration rates in per-
sons who experienced fallout symp-
toms may be useful, and an evaluation of effects on reproduction during
and after fallout exposures is needed.
There is a need for morebasic scientific research into the molecular, cellular, and developmental effects of
Cancer and Radioactive Failout— Johnson
235