Lung cancer case-control study of beryllium workers

Abstract

Background Cohort mortality studies have found elevated lung cancer mortality among beryllium‐exposed workers, but none evaluated the association between beryllium exposure level and lung cancer risk. A nested case–control study of lung cancer within a beryllium processing plant was conducted to investigate the relationship between level of beryllium exposure and lung cancer. Methods Lung cancer cases were identified by mortality follow‐up through 1992 of a cohort of male workers at a beryllium alloy production plant. Each of 142 lung cancer cases was age–race‐matched to five controls. Calendar‐time‐specific beryllium exposure estimates were made for every job in the plant and were used to estimate workers' cumulative, average, and maximum exposures. The potential confounding effects of smoking were also evaluated. Results Lung cancer cases had shorter tenures and lower lifetime cumulative beryllium exposures than controls, but higher average and maximum exposures. However, after applying a 10‐ and 20‐year lag, exposure metrics were higher for cases. Odds ratios in analyses lagged 20 years were significantly elevated for those with higher exposure compared to the lowest exposure category. Significant positive trends were seen with the log of the exposure metrics. Smoking did not appear to confound exposure–response analyses. Conclusions Increased lung cancer among workers with higher lagged beryllium exposures and lack of evidence for confounding by cigarette smoking, provide further evidence that beryllium is a human lung carcinogen. Am. J. Ind. Med. 39:133–144, 2001. Published 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Attenuation of exposure-response curves in occupational cohort studies at high exposure levels

“…At the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), we (LS and KS) have observed this phenomenon in 7 of the 10 studies in which we have participated and which included comprehensive exposure-response analyses. These included studies of ethylene oxide and lymphatic and hematopoietic neoplasms (1), dioxin and all cancers (2), silica and kidney disease (3), cadmium (4), beryllium (5), and diesel fumes and lung cancers (6). At the National Cancer Institute (NCI) one of us (MD) has observed this phenomenon in all three of the studies that he has been involved in that had positive exposure-response findings, which included studies of benzene and lymphopoietic neoplasms (7), silica and lung cancer (8), and acrylonitrile and lung cancer (9).…”

Nanopillar Based Enhanced-Fluorescence Detection of Surface-Immobilized Beryllium

“…This exposure can lead to beryllium sensitization causing granulomas, inflammation and scarring of lung tissues associated with chronic beryllium disease. [5][6][7] Additionally, beryllium is listed as a human carcinogen on the National Toxicology Program's Report on Carcinogens based on evidence of an increased risk of developing lung cancer after beryllium exposure. It is estimated that the number of workers in the United States currently exposed to beryllium as being between 54,000 and 134,000, with perhaps 3 to 5 times as many having been exposed at some time in the past.…”

S3-Leitlinie Gesundheitsüberwachung bei Beryllium-Exposition und diagnostisches Vorgehen bei berylliumassoziierter Erkrankung

“…Höhe der Beryllium-Expositionen Im historischen Überblick wird deutlich, dass zunächst oft Belastungen oberhalb von 2 μg/m³ aufgetreten sind, wobei von Schichtmittelwerten bis zu 100 μg/m³ berichtet wird [11,15]. Im weiteren Verlauf wurden die Belastungen deutlich geringer (siehe Langfassung).…”