Natural environmental gamma radiation exposure and prevalence of breast cancer in Pocos de Caldas, MG, Brazil

摘要

Background: Environmental ionizing radiation has been associated with increased cancer risk by several studies. The Brazilian city of Pocos de Caldas, MG, seats on a huge deposit of uranium, which was until recently mined. We performed a retrospective analysis of 310 cases of patients with breast cancer, who were exposed for at least ten years to different levels of ionizing radiation around their homes, to verify whether a correlation existed between disease incidence, prevalence, and exposure. Materials and Methods: Gamma radiation was measured on the roads and the urban street grid. We retrieved the clinical files of 310 patients from the Population-Based Cancer Registry of Pogos de Caldas city, MG, Brazil and compared the local prevalence and incidence of breast cancer per city district to the local effective doses.