Work-related leukemia: a systematic review

Abstract

Leukemia is a complex disease, which only became better understood during the last decades following the development of new laboratory techniques and diagnostic methods. Despite our improved understanding of the physiology of the disease, little is yet known about the causes of leukemia. A variety of potential risk factors have been suggested so far, including personal habits and lifestyle, and a wide range of occupational or environmental exposures. A causal association with leukemia has only been documented to date for ionizing radiation, benzene and treatment with cytostatic drugs, but there is an ongoing scientific debate on the possible association of leukemia with a number of other work-related hazards. In this article, we have reviewed scientific studies, published over the past 5 years, which investigated potential associations between leukemia and exposure to occupational risk factors. The systematic literature review took place via electronic databases, using specific search criteria, and independent reviewers have further filtered the search results to identify the number of articles, presented in our paper. A large number of studies included in the review referred to the effects of ionizing radiation, where new data suggest that the effects of exposure to small doses of ionizing radiation should probably be reevaluated. Some other works appear to substantiate a potential association of the disease with certain pesticides. Further research is also suggested regarding the role of infectious agents or exposure to certain chemicals like formaldehyde or butadiene in the pathogenesis of leukemia.

Análise de indivíduos com leucemia: limitações do sistema de vigilância de câncer

“…Benzene belongs to the group of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and is a known carcinogenic. It is found in gasoline and automotive exhaust, among other uses, such as paint industry, lacquers, varnishes, adhesives, glue, degreasing agents, cleaning products and detergents and are used in the production of dyes, plastic, agricultural products, pharmaceutical products and fabric industries 12,[28][29][30] . According to Uzma et al 31 , humans absorb about 50% of inhaled benzene depending on their concentration in the atmosphere and the level of exposure.…”

“…Nevertheless, in our study, it was possible to observe the higher prevalence of leukemia in groups exposed to substances known to be leukemogenic. Several authors have observed the occurrence of leukemia in specific professional categories, recognizing them as more exposed to carcinogenic agents such as solvents, household sanitizers, formaldehyde and pesticides 12,39 . According to Chagas et al 38 , the main occupational carcinogenic agents (ionizing radiation, benzene, ethylene oxide), work sectors and processes, such as rubber industry and the shoe manufacturing and repair are risk factors for the development of leukemia types.…”

“…Among exposures in the occupational environment, the main risk factors for the development of leukemia are solvents such as benzene, tetrachlorethylene, styrene and chlorophenols, aromatic amines, ionizing radiation, electromagnetic fields, creosote, chromium, arsenic, ethylene oxide, asbestos, some antineoplastic agents and agrochemicals 11,12 . According to IARC's most recent report (2014) 7 , butadiene and formaldehyde gases 1-3 used in the plastic, rubber and textile industries are also classified as group 1 occupational carcinogens, that is, carcinogenic to human beings.…”

Toxicogenetic biomonitoring of occupational risk induced by ionizing radiation

“…Epidemiological studies show an association between IR at low doses (1 to 5 mGy) and development of leukemia. Leukemia is a complex disease that may have etiologies related to the lifestyle and occupational and environmental exposure, but there are also associations between leukemia (Polychronakis et al, 2013) due to genetic instability related to increased single and double strand DNA breaks that can lead to the chromosomal alterations and formation of MN (Saha et al, 2014), as noted in mutagenicity analysis of professionals occupationally exposed to IR in this study. There are also reports that IR can lead to apoptosis, as observed in embryonic neuronscells (Leuraud et al, 2015).…”

Occupational exposure to metals and risk of meningioma: a multinational case-control study

“…While occupational exposures to some chemical and physical agents are known to be risk factors for several cancer types [7][8][9][10][11], little is known regarding the role of occupational factors in the development of meningioma [3]. Some studies have shown associations between specific works (e.g.…”