Occupational exposure to asbestos and lung cancer in men: evidence from a population-based case-control study in eight Canadian provinces

BMC Cancer

Paul J Villeneuve⁴  Marie-Élise Parent³  Shelley A Harris¹  Kenneth C Johnson² 

[1] Prevention and Cancer Control, Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

[2] Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Canada

[3] INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, University of Quebec, Laval, Quebec, Canada

[4] Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

关键词: Occupational epidemiology;    Case–control;    Cigarette smoking;    Asbestos;    Lung cancer;   

Others  :  1080019
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2407-12-595

 received in 2012-09-19, accepted in 2012-12-10,  发布年份 2012

【 摘 要 】

Background

Asbestos is classified as a human carcinogen, and studies have consistently demonstrated that workplace exposure to it increases the risk of developing lung cancer. Few studies have evaluated risks in population-based settings where there is a greater variety in the types of occupations, and exposures.

Methods

This was a population based case–control study with 1,681 incident cases of lung cancer, and 2,053 controls recruited from 8 Canadian provinces between 1994 and 1997. Self-reported questionnaires were used to elicit a lifetime occupational history, including general tasks, and information for other risk factors. Occupational hygienists, who were blinded to case–control status, assigned asbestos exposures to each job on the basis of (i) concentration (low, medium, high), (ii) frequency (<5%, 5-30%, and >30% of the time in a normal work week), and (iii) reliability (possible, probable, definite). Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Those occupationally exposed to (i) low, and (ii) medium or high concentrations of asbestos had ORs for lung cancer of 1.17 (95% CI=0.92 – 1.50) and 2.16 (95% CI=1.21-3.88), respectively, relative to those who were unexposed. Medium or high exposure to asbestos roughly doubled the risk for lung cancer across all three smoking pack-year categories. The joint relationship between smoking and asbestos was consistent with a multiplicative risk model.

Conclusions

Our findings provide further evidence that exposure to asbestos has contributed to an increased risk of lung cancer in Canadian workplaces, and suggests that nearly 3% of lung cancers among Canadian men are caused by occupational exposure to asbestos.

【 授权许可】

   
2012 Villeneuve et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

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