Prospective cohort study of residents near the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site - feasibility

-

The health effects of exposures to fallout from Soviet nuclear weapons testing for the residents living near by the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan are not well investigated. There are reports with contradicting results coming from the studi es conducted on two independent cohorts: "historical" and "new". Both use different control groups and dosimetric methods. The two cohorts have a high probability of including the same individuals. There is a need to investigate possibilities to merge the m in order to avoid duplication of efforts and resources for future studies of the health effects in these populations. The main objectives of our feasibility study include: developing and testing mechanisms for identifying members in the two cohorts; ide ntification and testing of data linkage mechanisms; characterization and validation of dose assessment methods; determination of the outcomes to be studied; identification of case ascertainment mechanisms and sources, depending on the outcome; investigate the feasibility to collect data on confounding factors; setting up and testing procedures for follow-up; development of a proposal for a full epidemiological study; setting up mechanisms for collaboration and coordination of future activities. The proj ect will bring together scientists from Europe, Kazakhstan and Japan with the aim of conducting a feasibility to set up a unique cohort to address the dose-effect relationship for both cancer and non-cancer effects from low to moderate chronic doses (exte rnal and internal). Other populations exposed to low to moderate dose radiation like in Fukushima or elsewhere can benefit from the outcomes of studying the unique Semipalatinsk cohort and the results will contribute to a better understanding and quantifi cation of radiation risks for low to moderate chronic doses. The proposed project is in line with the Strategic Research Agenda of MELODI.