Surveys

The first survey of the U.S. Radiologic Technologists cohort was conducted between 1983 and 1989 and involved a 16-page mailed questionnaire. The focus of the questionnaire was on radiation exposure on the job, personal diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, medical outcomes (cancer and selected conditions), family history and other risk factors, as well as birth defects, cancer or deaths among offspring. The questionnaire was mailed to approximately 132,000 registrants who were believed to be living and for whom a mailing address was located. A total of 90,305 technologists (68%) completed the questionnaire. An additional 19,393 technologists responded to an abbreviated telephone survey that inquired about medical outcomes only. Approximately 6,000 cancers were reported by participants on this survey.

A second mailed survey was undertaken during 1994-98 to identify new cancers diagnosed since the first survey and to obtain important risk factor information. This survey was mailed to approximately 127,000 technologists with roughly 91,000 participating (72%). In this survey, employment histories were updated, and information was obtained on medical exposures, gynecologic and reproductive histories, and many other cancer risk factors. Respondents to the second survey reported nearly 7,000 additional cancers.

A third mailed survey was completed in 2004 to 2006 with approximately 103,000 participants who responded to one or both of the previous surveys. This survey included questions to update medical outcomes (i.e., cancers and selected other conditions), new questions about work history to help refine radiation exposure estimations, and questions about sun exposure. Nearly 74,000 technologists (72%) completed the third survey, including about 2,500 technologists who began working prior to 1950 and completed the survey by telephone. Approximately 14,000 new cancers were reported by participants on this survey.