A Nested Case-Control Study of Radiation Exposure and Brain Cancer Incidence in the United States Air Force.

A nested case-control study design was used to investigate the relationship between radiation exposure and brain cancer risk in the United States Air Force USAF. The cohort consisted of approximately 880,000 men with at least 1 year of service between 1970 and 1989. Two hundred and thirty cases were identified from hospital discharge records with a diagnosis of primary malignant brain tumor International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, code 191. Four controls were exactly matched with each case on year of age and race using incidence density sampling. Potential career summary extremely low frequency ELF and microwave-radiofrequency MWRF radiation exposures were based upon the duration in each occupation and an intensity score assigned by an expert panel. Ionizing radiation IR exposures were obtained from personal dosimetry records.