Excess lung cancer among workers exposed to lead.

OBJECTIVE Studies on experimental animals suggest that inorganic lead is a carcinogen. The purpose of the study was to examine whether occupational exposure to lead increases the risk of cancer. METHODS The study population comprised 20,700 workers who had been biologically monitored for their blood lead (B-Pb) concentrations during 1973-1983. The mortality and cancer incidence rates were followed among the monitored workers and compared with those of the Finnish general population. An internal comparison of the cancer incidence rates was also done between subcohorts formed according to individual B-Pb levels. Questionnaire-based information was also collected on lifetime occupational history and potential confounders, and exposure history was assessed on an individual basis with a nested case-referent design for lung cancer. RESULTS The internal comparison within the cohort showed a 1.4-fold increase in the overall cancer incidence and a 1.8-fold increase in the incidence of lung cancer among those who had ever had a blood lead level of > or = 1.0 mumol.l-1. In the case-referent study, an increased odds ratio for lung cancer was found for concomitant exposure to lead and engine exhaust. The odds ratio for squamous-cell carcinoma of the lung was increased even when the blood lead level had been slightly elevated. Bias or confounding did not explain the risks. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that exposure to lead increases the risk of lung cancer. Co-exposure to engine exhaust and lead may be associated with the risk.

[1]  H. Vainio,et al.  Chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges in lead‐exposed workers , 2009 .

[2]  E. Pukkala.  Use of record linkage in small-area studies , 1996 .

[3]  Jack Cuzick,et al.  Geographical and Environmental Epidemiology , 1996 .

[4]  E. Pukkala.  Cancer Risk by Social Class and Occupation: A Survey of 109,000 Cancer Cases among Finns of Working Age , 1995 .

[5]  P Boffetta,et al.  Cancer and occupational exposure to inorganic lead compounds: a meta-analysis of published data. , 1995, Occupational and environmental medicine.

[6]  B. Järrholm.  Incidence of lung cancer by histological type among asbestos cement workers in Denmark. , 1993, British journal of industrial medicine.

[7]  P. Kyyrönen,et al.  Lobe of origin of lung cancer among asbestos-exposed patients with or without diffuse interstitial fibrosis. , 1993, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[8]  H. Becher,et al.  Effect of occupational air pollutants on various histological types of lung cancer: a population based case-control study. , 1993, British journal of industrial medicine.

[9]  K. Hemminki,et al.  Carcinogenic chemicals in the occupational environment. , 1993, Pharmacology & toxicology.

[10]  B. Korsgaard,et al.  Incidence of lung cancer by histological type among asbestos cement workers in Denmark. , 1993, British journal of industrial medicine.

[11]  P. Landrigan,et al.  The mortality of lead smelter workers: an update. , 1992, American journal of public health.

[12]  Jari Erkkilä,et al.  In vivo measurements of lead in bone at four anatomical sites: long term occupational and consequent endogenous exposure. , 1992, British journal of industrial medicine.

[13]  Sven Hernberg,et al.  Introduction to Occupational Epidemiology , 1991 .

[14]  S. Zoloth,et al.  Does low-level lead exposure increase risk of death? A mortality study of newspaper printers. , 1991, International journal of epidemiology.

[15]  Jack Siemiatycki,et al.  Risk Factors For Cancer In The Workplace , 1991 .

[16]  M. M. Wu,et al.  Evaluation of Concomitant Biological and Air Monitoring Results , 1991 .

[17]  H. Taskinen,et al.  Paternal occupational lead exposure and spontaneous abortion. , 1991, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[18]  E. Berent,et al.  Isolation and characterization of PKC-L, a new member of the protein kinase C-related gene family specifically expressed in lung, skin, and heart , 1991, Molecular and cellular biology.

[19]  Norman E. Breslow,et al.  Statistical Methods in Cancer Research, Vol. II: The Design and Analysis of Cohort Studies. , 1990 .

[20]  N. Shimizu,et al.  Protein kinase C and limited substrates for tyrosine kinase are involved in epidermal growth factor (EGF)-dependent growth of a human squamous cell carcinoma cell variant. , 1990, Cell structure and function.

[21]  A. Hartwig,et al.  Indirect mechanism of lead-induced genotoxicity in cultured mammalian cells. , 1990, Mutation research.

[22]  R. Sankila,et al.  Relationship between occupation and lung cancer as analyzed by age and histologic type , 1990, Cancer.

[23]  Y. Miyata,et al.  Protein kinase C-dependent and -independent pathways in the growth factor-induced cytoskeletal reorganization. , 1989, The Journal of biological chemistry.

[24]  Feng Zy,et al.  Chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges in workers exposed to lead. , 1988 .

[25]  J. H. Li,et al.  Genetic toxicology of lead compounds. , 1988, Carcinogenesis.

[26]  G. Goldstein,et al.  Lead activates protein kinase C in immature rat brain microvessels. , 1988, Toxicology and applied pharmacology.

[27]  A. Ades,et al.  Lung cancer in a non-ferrous smelter: the role of cadmium. , 1988, British journal of industrial medicine.

[28]  D. Fanning,et al.  A mortality study of lead workers, 1926-1985. , 1988, Archives of environmental health.

[29]  J. Siemiatycki,et al.  Associations between several sites of cancer and ten types of exhaust and combustion products. Results from a case-referent study in Montreal. , 1988, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[30]  H. Barnett,et al.  A mortality study of lead workers 1925-76. , 1982, British journal of industrial medicine.

[31]  R. L. Carter,et al.  IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Humans , 1980, IARC monographs on the evaluation of the carcinogenic risk of chemicals to humans.

[32]  H. Mikami,et al.  Lung cancer in Japanese chromate workers. , 1978, Thorax.

[33]  M. Lehtonen,et al.  Data quality and quality control of a population-based cancer registry. Experience in Finland. , 1994, Acta oncologica.

[34]  R. Brownson,et al.  Study of lung cancer histologic types, occupation, and smoking in Missouri. , 1989, American journal of industrial medicine.

[35]  J. Olofsson,et al.  Protein kinase C activity in normal and neoplastic squamous epithelia from the upper aero-digestive tract. , 1988, Second messengers and phosphoproteins.

[36]  D. Wegman,et al.  Smoking, occupation, and histopathology of lung cancer: a case-control study with the use of the Third National Cancer Survey. , 1983, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[37]  A. Miller,et al.  Cancer mortality in a pigment plant utilizing lead and zinc chromates. , 1982, Archives of environmental health.

[38]  S. Hernberg,et al.  Lead exposure of workers in printing shops , 1969 .