Malignant lymphomas and occupational exposures.

Abstract

The effects of potential risk factors for Hodgkin's disease (HD) and for non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) were evaluated in a case-referent study encompassing 54 cases ofHD, 106 cases of NHL, and 275 referents, all alive. Exposure information was obtained by questionnaires posted to the subjects. Crude rate ratios were increased for various occupational exposures including solvents, welding, wood preservatives, phenoxy acids, and fresh wood (sawmill workers, lumberjacks, paper pulp workers). After further analyses based on logistic regression occupational exposures to welding and creosote remained as significant risk factors for HD. For NHL, occupational exposures to solvents, phenoxy acids, and creosote but also work as carpenter or cabinet maker and contacts with pets (other than dogs, cats, and birds) were associated with significantly increased risks.

Is the decline of the increasing incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Sweden and other countries a result of cancer preventive measures?

“…We found a significant association between exposure to phenoxyacetic acids and chlorophenols and malignant lymphoma, both NHL and Hodgkin disease (Hardell et al 1981). The results for NHL were also published separately (Hardell et al 1994) and have been replicated by other research groups both in Sweden (Persson et al 1989) and in other countries ; for updated review, see Hardell et al 2003).…”

“…One explanation might be that newer organic solvents are chemically different from earlier ones and are handled under better hygienic conditions than before (Axelson and Hogstedt 1994). In another Swedish study with exposures during the same period (Persson et al 1989), the attributable fraction was calculated to be 16%.…”

“…In our first study (Hardell et al 1981(Hardell et al , 1994, the attributable fraction for Hormoslyr was 13% and that for chlorophenols was 26%. A substantially lower attributable fraction of 3.0% for phenoxyacetic acids was calculated in a study on men and women in central Sweden (Persson et al 1989), but a small number of subjects in the study had been exposed to chlorophenols.…”

Pesticide exposure as risk factor for non‐Hodgkin lymphoma including histopathological subgroup analysis

“…This finding was in contrast to our previous results on NHL, 18 but another Swedish study also found an association between creosote and NHL. 41 Chlorophenols have been the most common group of impregnating agents in Sweden, but were banned in 1977. In our first NHL study, reflecting exposures mainly during the time these substances were used, we found a strong association with NHL.…”

The non-Hodgkin lymphomas: A review of the epidemiologic literature

“…Findings from studies of TCE-exposed aerospace and aircraft workers are not supportive of an increased risk of NHL. [205][206][207][208] Other occupational cohorts in the US, 209 Sweden, 210 Finland 211 and Denmark, 212,213 and 2 case-control studies 117,214 have reported positive associations, albeit without evidence of exposure-response relationships based on urinary trichloroacetic acid (TCA) concentrations. 210,211 Significant positive associations with several NHL types were reported among men and women from New Jersey communities where TCE had been found in drinking water.…”