Historical perspective on the department of energy mortality studies: focus on the collection and storage of individual worker data

Abstract

Purpose

To present how the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource (CEDR) is integrated into the Million Person Study of Low Dose Health Effects (MPS). The history of DOE’s worker health surveillance and its epidemiology program are described.

Methods and materials

A standard protocol is used to extract data from CEDR for use in the MPS. The data files are pulled from CEDR to form the basis for the cohort analyzed in the MPS. The previous study data are reviewed to formulate the protocol for the MPS study cohort. The activities needed to update the data to construct the new analytic files are carried out in parallel. The primary efforts relate to updating the vital status, retrieving cause of death information and calculating annual radiation doses for the specific organs of interest. Working data files containing the updated data are produced for construction of analytic data files used in the biostatistical analysis. At study completion the working and analytic data files are placed into CEDR for use by other researchers.

Results

The use of CEDR to study the scientific and maintenance workers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory which is currently underway is used to demonstrate the process.

Conclusions

There is a pressing need to answer the question of the health risk of exposure to chronic low-level exposure to ionizing radiation. Using CEDR as the starting point to identify new cohorts to include in the MPS is a cost-effective and a time efficient way to expedite answering this question.

Keywords:

• Epidemiology
• database
• low dose effects
• radiation

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor the U.S. Department of Energy, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe on privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, mark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement or recommendation, or favor by the U.S. Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Government or any agency thereof.

Additional information

Funding

This document describes activities performed under contract number DE-SC0014664 between the U.S. Department of Energy and Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

Notes on contributors

Elizabeth D. Ellis

Elizabeth D. Dupree Ellis is an occupational epidemiologist at Oak Ridge Associated Universities. She has been studying the health effects of chronic low dose ionizing radiation on the Department of Energy nuclear workers for over 35 years and has been a collaborator on the MPS for over 10 years. She is a member of an International Commission of Radiation Protection Task Group reviewing the health effects of alpha emitters. She is also active in protection of human participants in research serving on several Institutional Review Boards.

David Girardi

David Girardi is a scientific computer programmer at Oak Ridge Associated Universities. He has over 15 years programming experience working with epidemiologists and statisticians and has been working with the Million Person Study for over five years. He is a member of the Project Management Institute and has been a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) for over 5 years.

Ashley P. Golden

Ashley P. Golden is a biostatistician at Oak Ridge Associated Universities. She supports multiple research efforts requiring her expertise. She has been a collaborator on the MPS for over 5 years.

Phil W. Wallace

Phillip W. Wallace was Information Technology Manager, supporting epidemiological research. He semi-retired in 2016 after 32 years in this position, and contributed 10 years to the MPS. He was responsible for managing the databases at ORAU containing DOE rosters, work history information, radiation exposure data, and vital status. He was also one of the original developers of the DOE Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource in 1990.

Joyce Phillips

Joyce Phillips is a senior scientific programmer analyst at Oak Ridge Associated Universities. She serves as database administrator with over 30 years of experience providing technical support and maintaining data integrity and accuracy of the Center for Epidemiological Research historical data.

Donna L. Cragle

Donna L. Cragle is an occupational epidemiologist at Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). She has been studying the health effects of radiation and chemical exposures related to work in the nuclear industry for over 35 years. She is currently the Senior Vice President for Health, Energy, and Environment at ORAU.