Effects of radiation and chemical exposures on cancer mortality among Rocketdyne workers: a review of three cohort studies.

The purpose of the UCLA Rocketdyne Study was to estimate the effects of occupational exposures to low-level ionizing radiation and selected chemicals on cancer mortality among nuclear and aerospace workers who were employed at Rocketdyne/Atomics International between 1950 and 1993. The results of this retrospective cohort study suggest that: (1) exposure to external radiation, especially doses greater than 200 mSv, increased the risk of dying from lymphopoietic cancers, lung cancer, and possibly other solid cancers; (2) exposure to internal radiation increased the risk of dying from lymphopoietic cancers and upper-aerodigestive-tract cancers; and (3) exposure to hydrazine or other chemicals associated with the same jobs at rocket-engine test stands increased the risk of dying from lung cancer and possibly other cancers.