The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) publ
ished a report in 1995 suggesting the possibility of increased inciden
ce of testicular cancel; leukemia, and cancers of the brain, eye, and
skin among police officers working with traffic radar. NIOSH recommend
ed epidemiologic study of the issue. This report presents the results
of a retrospective cohort cancer incidence study among 22,197 officers
employed by 83 Ontario police departments. The standardized incidence
ratio (SIR) for all tumor sites was 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI
] = 083-0.98). There was an increased incidence of testicular cancer (
SIR = 1.3, 90% CI = 0.9-1.8) and melanoma skin cancer (SIR = 1.45, 90%
CI = 1.1-1.9). These anatomical sites might absorb energy from radar u
nits, but at this time the author has no information about individual
exposures to radar emissions, and it is not possible to draw etiologic
conclusions. Nested case-control studies are planned to assess indivi
dual radar exposures. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.