2
CONCLUSION: These findings provide novel preliminary evidence supporting the notion that environmentally-
related cancer risks may be markedly increased in people with elevated BMIs, especially in those with an
elevated BMI in early-life.
International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics opinion on reproductive health impacts
of exposure to toxic environmental chemicals.
Opinion de la Fédération internationale de gynécologie et d'obstétrique sur les impacts de l'exposition aux
produits chimiques toxiques de l'environnement sur la santé reproductive
Di Renzo GC et al., Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2015 Dec
Exposure to toxic environmental chemicals during pregnancy and breastfeeding is ubiquitous and is a threat to
healthy human reproduction. There are tens of thousands of chemicals in global commerce, and even small
exposures to toxic chemicals during pregnancy can trigger
adverse healthconsequences. Exposure to toxic environmental chemicals and related health outcomes are
inequitably distributed within and between countries; universally, the consequences of exposure are
disproportionately borne by people with low incomes. Discrimination, other social factors, economic factors, and
occupation impact risk of exposure and harm. Documented links between
prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals and adversehealth outcomes span the life course and
include impacts on fertility and pregnancy, neurodevelopment, and cancer. The global health and economic
burden related to toxic environmental chemicals is in excess of millions of deaths and billions of dollars every
year. On the basis of accumulating robust evidence of exposures and adverse health impacts related
to toxic environmental chemicals, the International Federation of Gynecology andObstetrics (FIGO) joins other
leading reproductive health professional societies in calling for timely action to prevent harm. FIGO
recommends thatreproductive and other health professionals advocate for policies to
prevent exposure to toxic environmental chemicals, work to ensure a healthy food system for all,
make environmental health part of health care, and champion environmental justice.
Risk of cancer from occupational exposure to ionising radiation: retrospective cohort study of
workers in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States (INWORKS)
Risque de cancer venant de l’exposition professionnelle aux rayonnements ionisants : étude de cohorte
rétrospective de travailleurs en France, au Royaume-Uni, et aux Etats-Unis (INWORKS).
Richardson DB et al., BMJ. 2015 Oct
Study question Is protracted exposure to low doses of ionising radiation associated with an increased risk of solid
cancer?
Methods In this cohort study, 308 297 workers in the nuclear industry from France, the United Kingdom, and the
United States with detailed monitoring data for external exposure to ionising radiation were linked to death
registries. Excess relative rate per Gy of radiation dose for mortality from cancer was estimated. Follow-up
encompassed 8.2 million person years. Of 66 632 known deaths by the end of follow-up, 17 957 were due to
solid cancers.
Study answer and limitations Results suggest a linear increase in the rate of cancer with increasing radiation
exposure. The average cumulative colon dose estimated among exposed workers was 20.9 mGy (median 4.1
mGy). The estimated rate of mortality from all cancers excluding leukaemia increased with cumulative dose by
48% per Gy (90% confidence interval 20% to 79%), lagged by 10 years. Similar associations were seen for
mortality from all solid cancers (47% (18% to 79%)), and within each country. The estimated association over
the dose range of 0-100 mGy was similar in magnitude to that obtained over the entire dose range but less
precise. Smoking and occupational asbestos exposure are potential confounders; however, exclusion of deaths
from lung cancer and pleural cancer did not affect the estimated association. Despite substantial efforts to
characterise the performance of the radiation dosimeters used, the possibility of measurement error remains.