Answer to Question #737 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

I am currently researching four patients (all ground-based air traffic controllers) that presented with testicular seminomas. They all have daily work exposures to nonionizing radiation. I'm interested in any studies that might involve nonionizing radiation and incidence of cancers.

Seminoma is a testicular cancer (TC) that has no proven cause, although its world-wide incidence has more than doubled over the past 40 years. In a study of Canadian workers, no jobs were significantly related to the incidence of seminoma. Previous studies, however, showed that this type of TC is more common among dentists, physicians, and veterinarians, although the link is not statistically significant. Seminomas also tend to be more frequent among better-educated men, who are less likely to be exposed to potentially toxic substances on the job.

Your question is specifically motivated by the observation of seminoma in air traffic controllers. These workers are routinely exposed to radio frequency fields from a number of types of electronic instrumentation, including radar equipment. The incidence of cancer in personnel receiving such exposures is a significant topic of study at the Radio Frequency Radiation Branch (AFRL/HEDR) of the United States Air Force, with facilities at Brooks Air Force Base. A recent detailed report found no statistically significant increase in seminoma incidence in men occupationally exposed to radar. But rather than making an attempt myself to answer the broader question of the relationship between nonionizing radiation and cancer, I refer you to a detailed report on the subject that is of particular relevance since it looks carefully at Air Force personnel, including ground-based air traffic controllers. The study can be accessed at the Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields (RFEMF) and Cancer: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature Pertinent to Air Force Operations Web page, and other relevant reports can be found at the Brooks Air Force Base Technical Reports Web page.

Robert J. Barish, PhD, CHP, DABR, DABMP, FAAPM