ATSDR - Health Studies of Lawrence Livermore Employees, California

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ATSDR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT

State Health Department Issues Final Report Summarizing Cancer,
Other Health Studies of Lawrence Livermore Employees

For Immediate Release: April 23, 2004

SACRAMENTO - Overall, the incidence of cancer among Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory employees and the Livermore community from 1960 - 1997 has not been higher than expected, with the exception of melanoma, a rare skin cancer, according to studies summarized in a report recently released by the California Department of Health Services (CDHS).

The report, "Review of Health Studies Relevant to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Surrounding Community," summarizes public information about laboratory employee and Livermore community health. It includes studies of cancer incidence, investigations to identify laboratory-related exposures that may have contributed to elevated incidences of the melanoma and a review of birth defects in the community.

CDHS prepared the report under a cooperative agreement with the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ATSDR funds CDHS to conduct public health assessments at hazardous waste sites.

According to studies cited in the report, from the 1970s through the mid-1980s, rates for melanoma among laboratory employees were approximately three times higher than expected. An earlier study of community members found melanoma to be elevated for about three decades (1960-1991) among children and young adults in Livermore.

One of the summarized studies, conducted by the California Cancer Registry, found ionizing radiation exposure among Lawrence Livermore employees to be associated with increased melanoma risk. However, a subsequent study by the laboratory did not confirm this.

According to the report, the laboratory has announced that its employee melanoma rates have fallen to San Francisco Bay area averages since 1985, based on a study they conducted that is pending publication. The report recommends that data on melanoma rates be reviewed periodically to see if this trend continues.

The report examined 18 studies and document reviews, primarily involving various types of cancer, including bone, brain, breast, Hodgkin's disease, leukemia, lung, melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and thyroid.

The report was originally issued as a Public Comment Draft in February 2003 and has been modified in response to comments. It is available at the Livermore Public Library, Civic Center location, 1000 South Livermore Ave., or may be requested from CDHS at 1515 Clay St., Suite 1700, Oakland CA 94612, or by calling Tivo Rojas, a CDHS community health educator at 510/622-4492. The report is also available electronically on CDHS' Web site: www.ehib.org.

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Editor's Note: Members of the news media may request an interview with California Department of Health Services staff by calling Ken August or Robert Miller at (916) 440-7660.

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Updated by R. Searfoss May 11, 2004
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