Gastrointestinal cancer mortality of workers in occupations with high asbestos exposures

Abstract

Asbestos, which is a well‐known risk factor for lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, has also been suggested as a gastrointestinal (GI) carcinogen. This study was conducted to assess the relationship between high asbestos exposure occupations and the occurrence of GI cancer. Death certificate data were analyzed from 4,943,566 decedents with information on occupation and industry from 28 states from 1979 through 1990. Elevated proportionate mortality ratios (PMRs) for mesothelioma were used to identify occupations potentially having many workers exposed to asbestos. All PMRs were age‐adjusted and sex‐ and race‐specific. The PMRs for GI cancers in white males were then calculated for these occupations after excluding mesothelioma, lung cancer, and non‐malignant respiratory disease from all deaths. We identified 15,524 cases of GI cancer in the 12 occupations with elevated PMRs for mesothelioma. When these occupations were combined, the PMRs for esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancer were significantly elevated at 108 (95% confidence interval = 107–110), 110 (106–113), and 109 (107–110), respectively. Esophageal cancer was elevated in sheet metal workers and mechanical workers. Gastric cancer was elevated in supervisors in production and managers. Colorectal cancer was elevated in mechanical and electrical and electronic engineers. However, high exposure occupations like insulation, construction painter supervisors, plumbers, furnace operators, and construction electricians showed no elevations of GI cancers. In conclusion, this death certificate study supports an association between asbestos exposure and some GI cancer, however the magnitude of this effect is very small. Am. J. Ind. Med. 31:713–718, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Airborne exposures and risk of gastric cancer: A prospective cohort study

“…In a recent Norwegian study, a possibly increased risk of gastric cancer was found among lighthouse keepers who drank water highly contaminated with asbestos, 55 and similar weak positive associations with gastric cancer have been reported from other studies of workers exposed to asbestos. [56][57][58][59][60] In other investigations, however, no such association has been found. 35,[61][62][63] The lack of association between exposure to asbestos and risk of gastric cancer in our study further argues against influence of airborne asbestos in the etiology of gastric cancer.…”

Spatial Analysis of Stomach Cancer Incidence in Iran

“…studies showed that Pylori infection, smoking, and exposure to industrial materials such as nitrogen oxides, N-nitro compounds, and ionizing radiation are among the important factors of stomach cancer (Cocco et al, 1994;Forman and Burley, 2006;Hartgrink et al, 2009;Malekzadeh et al, 2009;Radmard, 2010;Hasanzadeh et al, 2013). Studies also have shown a higher incidence of stomach cancer in certain occupational groups, including miners and quarrymen, farmers, fishermen, masonry and concrete workers, machine operators, nurses, food industry workers, cooks, launderers, and dry cleaners (Swanson and Burns, 1995;Kang et al, 1997;Simpson et al, 1999;Aragonés et al, 2002).…”

Lung function predicts survival in a cohort of asbestos cement workers

“…Until now the Wndings on gastrointestinal cancer and asbestos are controversial. While some reported an increased risk (Kang et al 1997;Kjaerheim et al 2005), others did not. A slight increase of mortality from "abdominal" malignancies might be caused by abdominal metastasis from cancer of the lung and other organs, misclassiWed on death certiWcate.…”