Original scientific paper
Estimation of Cancer Burden in Brežice Municipality, a Community Neighboring Krško Nuclear Power Plant in Slovenia
Vesna Zadnik
; Epidemiology and Cancer Registry Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Slovenia
Tina Žagar
; Epidemiology and Cancer Registry Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Slovenia
Samo Drobne
; Geodetic Department Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Maja Primic Žakelj
; Epidemiology and Cancer Registry Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Slovenia
Abstract
Aim To evaluate cancer risk in Brežice municipality in the period 1984-2003
and compare it with the period 1970-1983, before Krško nuclear power plant
started operating in the vicinity.
Methods A descriptive geographical epidemiological study was performed
to compare the cancer relative risks (RR) on the national, regional, and local
level. We estimated RR for all cancers combined, the five most common
cancer sites, and thyroid cancer and leukemias. Standardized incidence ratio
(SIR) was used as RR indicator. If the number of cancer cases was small, raw
SIRs were smoothed by Bayesian hierarchical model.
Results The number of new cancer cases, as well as the estimated RR for all
and individual cancer sites, increased in the period 1984-2003 in Brežice municipality
and all over Slovenia. In the period 1984-2003, SIR for all cancers
combined in Brežice was below the national and regional average, but RR for
colorectal and cervical cancer was above this average. There were no evident
clusters of districts with higher/lower RR within Brežice municipality in the
period 1984-2003. RR of thyroid cancer and leukemias in Brežice was comparable
with Slovenian average both in this period and before it.
Conclusion The obvious increase in cancer burden in Brežice municipality
cannot be associated with Krško nuclear power plant, but most likely with
unhealthy lifestyle.
Keywords
cancer; leukemia; incidence; radioactive waste; repository; Krško nuclear power plant; geographical analysis; Bayesian smoothing
Hrčak ID:
27245
URI
Publication date:
15.4.2008.
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