School
School of Public Health
Document Type
Dissertation
Department (new version)
Public Health
Date of Award
1989
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) School of Public Health
Abstract
This case-control study evaluates the relation between lung cancer and central nervous system neoplasms (CNSN) and employment at a dye and resin manufacturing plant. The study includes 51 lung cancer and 11 CNSN cases who were members of a cohort previously examined in a retrospective follow-up study. Two and four controls were selected for each lung cancer and CNSN case, respectively, from among cohort members who had the same year of birth as the case and who were under observation on the date of death or diagnosis of the case. Information on area of employment and on potential exposure to certain chemicals was obtained from plant personnel and medical records and from interviews with knowledgeable long-term employees. Information on potential confounders, including cigarette smoking, was obtained by interviewing study subjects or their next-of-kin.
Lung cancer occurred only among employees who smoked and the odds ratio (OR) for heavy smoking was 4.9 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.0-12). Elevated ORs for lung cancer, adjusted for smoking, were observed for potential exposure to asbestos (OR = 1.5; 95% CI = 0.6-3.5), for acute exposure to chlorine (OR = 27; 95% CI = 3.5-205) and for employment in the anthraquinone (AQ) dyes area (OR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.1-5.2). Elevated ORs for malignant brain tumors were found for employment during the 1960s in the azo dyes area (OR = $\infty;$ 95% CI = 1.1-$\infty)$ and in a building where AQ intermediates were produced (OR = $\infty;$ 95% CI = 0.8-$\infty).$ There also was a suggestion of an increased rate of meningioma among students with acute exposure to epichlorohydrin (OR = $\infty;$ 95% CI = 0.8-$\infty).$
Most of the rate ratio estimates in this study are based on small numbers and are, therefore, imprecise. Although some of the positive results are statistically significant, chance or confounding by some unknown factor cannot be ruled out as possible explanations.
ProQuest Publication Number
ProQuest ID
303800500
ISBN
979-8-207-12968-6
Recommended Citation
Barbone, Fabio, "A nested case-control study of lung cancer and central nervous system neoplasms among chemical workers" (1989). All ETDs from UAB. 7163.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/7163
