Cancer, Organic Solvents and Other Industrial Chemicals
Formaldehyde Exposure
OEEB researchers have conducted several studies to investigate occupational formaldehyde exposure and cancer risk, including an industrial cohort study of over 25,000 workers, a case-control study of workers in the funeral industry and a cross-sectional study to quantify leukemia-specific chromosome changes associated with formaldehyde exposure. Click here for more information
Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study (DEMS)
The National Cancer Institute and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health are collaborating on a retrospective cohort mortality and nested case-control study of about 12,315 workers at eight non-metal mining facilities to investigate risk of lung cancer in relation to quantitative measures of historical exposure to diesel exhaust after taking into account smoking and other lung cancer risk factors. Elevated mortality from other causes among diesel exhaust-exposed miners was examined as well. An extensive effort to characterize current and historical exposures to diesel exhaust and to develop estimates of personal exposures was an intrinsic part of the study. The methods for this effort were published previously in four papers in the Annals of Occupational Hygiene in 2010.
For more information on the study email Debra Silverman. To request an interview on this study, please contact the NCI Press Office on 301-496-6641 or ncipressofficers@mail.nih.gov.
Publications
- Silverman DT, Samanic CM, Lubin JH, Blair A, Stewart PA, Vermeulen R, Coble JB, Rothman N, Schleiff PL, Travis WD, Ziegler RG, Wacholder S, Attfield MD. The Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study: A Nested Case-Control Study of Lung Cancer and Diesel Exhaust. J Natl Cancer Inst. Mar 2, 2012.
- Attfield MD, Schleiff PL, Lubin JH, Blair A, Stewart PA, Vermeulen R, Coble JB, Silverman DT. The Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study: A Cohort Mortality Study with Emphasis on Lung Cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. March 2, 2012.
- Stewart PA, Vermeulen R, Coble JB, Blair A., Schleiff P, Lubin JH, Attfield M, Silverman DT. The Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study: V. Evaluation of the Exposure Assessment Method. March 2, 2012
- Stewart PA, Coble JB, Vermeulen R, Schleiff P, Blair A, Lubin J, Attfield M, Silverman DT. The Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study: I. Overview of the exposure assessment process. Ann Occup Hyg. 2010 Oct; 54(7):728-46.
- Coble JB, Stewart PA, Vermeulen R, Yereb D, Stanevich R, Blair A, Silverman DT, Attfield M. The Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study: II. Exposure monitoring surveys and development of exposure groups. Ann Occup Hyg. 2010 Oct; 54(7): 747-61.
- Vermeulen R, Coble JB, Yereb D, Lubin JH, Blair A, Portengen L, Stewart PA, Attfield M, Silverman DT. The Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study: III. Interrelations between respirable elemental carbon and gaseous and particulate components of diesel exhaust derived from area sampling in underground non-metal mining facilities. Ann Occup Hyg. 2010 Oct; 54(7): 762-73.
- Vermeulen R, Coble JB, Lubin JH, Portengen L, Blair A, Attfield MD, Silverman DT, Stewart PA. The Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study: IV. Estimating historical exposures to diesel exhaust in underground non-metal mining facilities. Ann Occup Hyg. 2010 Oct; 54(7):774-88.
- Ogden TL. Diesel exhaust and underground miners- Letter from the Editor. Ann Occup Hyg. 2010 Oct; 54(7): 727.
- Borak J, Bunn WB, Chase GR, Hall TA, Head HJ, Hesterberg TW, Sirianni G, Slavin TJ. Comments on the Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study- Letter to the Editor. Ann Occup Hyg. 2011 Apr; 55(3): 339-42.
- Stewart PA, Coble JB, Vermeulen R, Blair A, Lubin J, Attfield M, Silverman DT. Comments on the Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study - Author's Reply. Ann Occup Hyg. 2011; 55(3): 343-346 doi:10.1093/annhyg/mer006.
Benzene
A cohort of 75,000 benzene-exposed workers and 35,000 unexposed workers in China is designed to obtain important new exposure-response and biologic information. The project includes cohort, case-control and molecular epidemiology components. More information, Qing Lan and Nathaniel Rothman
Dry Cleaners
A cohort of 5,000 dry cleaners was assembled to evaluate cancer risk associated with dry cleaning fluids including perchloroethylene, petroleum solvents, and others. The mortality follow-up of this cohort is being extended through 1995 to provide additional power to evaluate this issue. More information, Lee Moore
Workers Exposed to Acrylonitrile
A cohort of over 25,000 workers employed in eight plants producing or using acrylonitrile have been assembled to evaluate cancer risks from this chemical. The study includes sophisticated procedures to develop historical estimates of exposure and a nested case-control study of lung cancer to obtain information on tobacco use. More information, Debra Silverman
Brain Cancer
A case-control study (800 cases and 800 controls) is underway to evaluate a number of hypotheses on the etiology of brain cancer. Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch investigators are taking the lead on the occupational component which was specifically designed to evaluate exposure to electromagnetic fields, solvents and other physical and chemical agents. More information, Claudine Samanic
Case-Control Study of Renal Cell Carcinoma in Eastern Europe
This hospital based case-control study is being conducted to evaluate kidney cancer risks in relation to occupational and other environmental and lifestyle exposures in 6-centers across Eastern Europe (Moscow, Russia; Brno, Prague, and Central Moravia, Czech Republic; Lodz, Poland; Bucharest, Romania). Over a two year period, we interviewed and collected blood from 1100 cancer cases and 1500 controls, and collected tumor tissues from the cases. The study will focus on evaluation of several occupational exposures for which data are inconclusive. DNA from blood will be used for gene-environment interaction studies. DNA from tumor tissue will be used to examine carcinogen fingerprints using mutational spectrum and methylation analyses of the VHL gene, chromosomal arrays, and immunohistochemistry. More information, Lee Moore and Wong-Ho Chow
