Cohort study of the association of childhood residence near the Coldwater Creek radioactive waste site and cancer incidence

Beginning in the 1940s, radioactive waste from the effort to develop an atomic bomb was stored in the open near the St Louis, Missouri, airport, and over several decades contaminated nearby Coldwater Creek. A cohort study of 4209 participants found that living near Coldwater Creek as a child was associated with an increased risk of overall cancer during long-term follow-up, with evidence of a dose-response association. When comparing those living aroud the creek (≤ 1 km) with those living further than 20 km away, the association with cancers known to be radiosensitive during childhood was stronger than that of nonradiosensitive cancers. The authors conclude that these findings suggest that childhood residential proximity to Coldwater Creek is associated with an increased risk of cancer.