{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T15:12:03Z","timestamp":1780499523155,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780444800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Cancer incidence and mortality are key epidemiological indicators for evaluating the long-term biological effects of chronic low-dose radiation exposure. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence, structure, and relative risk of digestive tract cancers (ICD-10 C15\u2013C26) among populations exposed and not exposed from uranium waste storage site in North Kazakhstan over a 10-year period (2014\u20132023). Methods: A retrospective population-based analysis was conducted using national cancer registry data, including data for residents of Stepnogorsk and nearby settlements (exposed group) and Akkol (control group). Results: A total of 588 cases were identified, including 465 in the exposed group and 123 in the control group. The mean age at diagnosis was similar (~65 years), and most cases were diagnosed at advanced stages (III\u2013IV: ~58\u201360%). The leading cancer types were colorectal (38\u201340%) and stomach (29\u201331%) in both groups. The incidence rates were comparable (85.27 vs. 87.40 per 100,000), with an overall relative risk (RR) of 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80\u20131.19), indicating no significant difference. Site-specific analysis showed no significant variation for esophageal, stomach, or colorectal cancers. A higher, but not statistically significant, risk was observed for pancreatic cancer (RR = 1.61; 95% CI: 0.90\u20132.89). Temporal analysis demonstrated similar trends in both populations, with incidence rates decreasing from 91.37 to 79.08 per 100,000 in the exposed group and from 97.40 to 78.13 per 100,000 in the control group between 2014\u20132018 and 2019\u20132023. Conclusions: Overall, digestive tract cancer incidence and structure were comparable between groups, with no statistically significant increase in the exposed population.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15114330","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T13:46:48Z","timestamp":1780494408000},"page":"4330","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Digestive Tract Cancer: A Retrospective Study of the Epidemiological Profile of Populations Exposed and Not Exposed to Uranium Contamination in North Kazakhstan (2014\u20132023)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Kuralay","family":"Ilbekova","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Institute of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, NJSC Astana Medical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1640-1728","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Danara","family":"Ibrayeva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Institute of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, NJSC Astana Medical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1791-0137","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elena","family":"Saifulina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Institute of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, NJSC Astana Medical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mulkat","family":"Yelshenbek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Institute of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, NJSC Astana Medical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Moldir","family":"Aumalikova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Institute of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, NJSC Astana Medical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kairullova","family":"Madina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Institute of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, NJSC Astana Medical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8172-768X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dinara","family":"Bizhanova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Institute of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, NJSC Astana Medical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gulnur","family":"Doszhanova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Institute of Preventive Medicine Named after Dalenov E, NJSC Astana Medical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bekenova","family":"Farida","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, NJSC Astana Medical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8239-563X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yerbol","family":"Dogalbayev","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Interventional Radiology, CF University Medical Center, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Meirat","family":"Bakhtin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Institute of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, NJSC Astana Medical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Polat","family":"Kazymbet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Institute of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, NJSC Astana Medical University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"NEA (2020). 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