Cancer risk among workers in biomedical research

Abstract

Objective This epidemiologic study was undertaken after a cluster of five cases of rare forms of cancer (bone sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) had been observed among biomedical research workers at the Pasteur Institute in Paris to ascertain whether their disease was connected with exposure during this research. Methods A mortality study included 3765 people who worked at the Pasteur Institute between 1971 and 1986 and were followed until the end of 1987. Within this cohort a nested case-referent study included 23 cases of cancer [non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (6), multiple myeloma (I), leukemia (3), pancreatic cancer (7), bone cancer (3), brain tumor (3)], and four referents per case, matched for gender and year of birth. Results Total mortality from cancer was less than expected, the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) being 72 for the men and 82 for the women. Among the women the proportion of pancreatic cancer cases was larger than expected [SMR 490, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) 158-1144], as was the number of brain cancer cases (SMR 239, 95% CI 48-696). Among the men, mortality from bone cancer was greater than expected (SMR 553,95% CI 62-2006). In the nested case-referent study, more cases than referents had worked in the areas of molecular biology [odds ratio (OR) 7.1, 95% CI 1.5-331 and microbial genetics (OR 6.7, 95% CI 1.3-35). These cases especially included non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and bone cancer. Associated with this finding was the fact that more cases had used certain chemicals, including ethidium bromide, acrylamide, methylnitronitrosoguanidine and ethylmethanesulfonate, and radioactive compounds (essentially 32phosphorus). C O~~C~U S~O~~S As the products used are potent genotoxicants, the present findings suggest that work in biomedical research might well involve an increased risk of certain types of cancer; this conclusion should be balanced by the fact that two of the five index cases were included in the mortality study and four in the nested casereferent study.

A cohort mortality study of chemical laboratory workers at Department of Energy Nuclear Plants

“…There is also a non-significant elevation of brain cancer deaths among females, a finding that is consistent with other studies of laboratory workers [Olin and Ahlbom, 1980;Belli et al, 1992;Hunter et al, 1993;Cordier et al, 1995]. The women who died of brain cancer were employed primarily in production assay laboratories at the K-25 facility during the very early years of plant operations when exposures to solvents, metals, and acids were likely.…”

Occupational risk in health care and research

“…Consequently, it was only in the last 10 years that results became available (Table IX) [Cordier, 1990;Belli et al, 1992;Daly et al, 1994;Cordier et al, 1995;Brown et al, 1996;Wennborg et al, 1999;Vecchio et al, 2001;Wennborg et al, 2001]. Despite a lower overall cancer mortality than among the general population, these research workers showed an excess risk of cancer of certain sites: brain, pancreas, lympho-hematopoietic system, and bone.…”

“…In particular, Cordier's case-control study of Pasteur workers found an association with work in molecular biology and microbiological genetics, and with the use of agents, such as ethidium bromide, acrylamide, methyl-nitronitrosoguanidine, ethyl methanesulfonate, acridine orange, bacteria, and recombinant DNA, and radioactive compounds such as 32 P. Those employed in microbiology and medical bacteriology appeared to be at highest risk for bone and pancreatic cancer, and brain tumors. Microbial genetics and molecular biology was associated with lymphatic and hemopoietic cancer, however, the number of subjects was small [Cordier et al, 1995]. Case reports have also implicated nitrosoguanidine [Pleven et al, 1984].…”

Increased pancreas cancer in a bio­technological research laboratory

“…In 1995, Cordier et al found an increased relative risk of PC among female biomedical research workers at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France (SMR ¼ 490;95%CI: 158-1144) [Cordier et al, 1995]. Increased risk was also noted mainly for bone cancer, and the authors hypothesized a possible causal relation for exposure to genotoxicants like ethidium bromide, acrylamide, methylnitronitrosoguanidine, ethylmethanesulfonate, and radioactive compounds.…”