Study of long duration diseases in the cohort of veterans with dosimeter testing during the French nuclear tests in the Pacific.

Abstract

Background: Following a mortality study in a cohort of male veterans present on the sites of the French nuclear experiments in the Pacific from 1966 to 1996, a morbidity study was conducted based on long duration disease (LDD) recognized by the French Social Security Aims: To evaluate the hypothesis of a higher LDD frequency in veterans still alive in January 2003, than in French population. Method: Admissions to LDD were compared between veterans and French population for 2003-2008 period by indirect standardization. The comparison within the cohort, of two groups according to radiations exposure, respectively with (DP) and without (DN) dosimeters above the detection threshold, was performed by Poisson regression with adjustment on age, period of admission in LDD, army and region of birth. Results: 18 717 veterans were enrolled, including 9% in the DP group. 4887 new LDD were taken up (for 3 584 men), 91.5% in the DN group and 8.5% in the DP group. Frequency of LDD for all cancers (first cause of LDD) was the same as in the French population (SIR = 1.00 [0.95-1.06]), but LDD for prostate cancer was in excess in the cohort (SIR = 1.09 [1.00-1.19]). LDD for peripheral arterial diseases were in excess in the cohort (SIR = 1.18 [1.06-1.31]). The comparison of the frequencies of LDD within the cohort revealed excess of LDD in DP group for cancer of the peritoneum (RR = 18.13 [1.28-257.39]) and multiple sclerosis (RR = 3.47 [1.18-10.2]). Conclusion: In the cohort of veterans, excess of peripheral arterial disease and prostate cancers were found, but they remain to be explained as these diseases were not in excess in the most exposed group (DP). Excess of cancer of the peritoneum and multiple sclerosis in DP group should be interpreted with caution because of the small number of people affected by these diseases. This work was supported by OSV (Veterans Health Monitoring Centre)