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Lung cancer case-control study of beryllium workers
W T Sanderson1, E M Ward, K Steenland
1Industrywide Studies Branch, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226, USA. wts1@cdc.gov
American Journal of Industrial Medicine
|February 15, 2001
Summary
Beryllium exposure is linked to increased lung cancer risk in workers. Higher, lagged beryllium exposure levels were associated with elevated lung cancer odds, independent of smoking.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Environmental Health
- Toxicology
Background:
- Previous cohort studies indicated elevated lung cancer mortality in beryllium-exposed workers.
- No prior studies assessed the direct relationship between beryllium exposure levels and lung cancer risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between beryllium exposure levels and lung cancer risk.
- To evaluate the dose-response relationship between beryllium exposure and lung cancer in a nested case-control study.
Main Methods:
- A nested case-control study involving 142 lung cancer cases and 710 matched controls from a beryllium alloy production plant.
- Beryllium exposure estimates (cumulative, average, maximum) were calculated using job-specific, calendar-time data.
- The influence of smoking as a potential confounder was assessed.
Main Results:
- Lung cancer cases exhibited higher average and maximum beryllium exposures but lower cumulative exposures compared to controls.
- A 20-year lagged analysis revealed significantly elevated odds ratios for lung cancer with higher beryllium exposure levels.
- A significant positive trend was observed between the log of exposure metrics and lung cancer risk, with no confounding by smoking.
Conclusions:
- Findings provide further evidence that beryllium is a human lung carcinogen.
- Higher, lagged beryllium exposures are associated with increased lung cancer risk in occupationally exposed workers.
- The study suggests beryllium's carcinogenicity is independent of cigarette smoking's confounding effects.