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Smith CJ, Perfetti TA, Chokshi C, Venugopal C, Ashford JW, Singh SK. Alkylating agents are possible inducers of glioblastoma and other brain tumors. Hum Exp Toxicol 2024; 43:9603271241256598. [PMID: 38758727 DOI: 10.1177/09603271241256598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Epidemiological evidence of an association between exposure to chemical carcinogens and an increased risk for development of glioblastoma (GBM) is limited to weak statistical associations in cohorts of firefighters, farmers, residents exposed to air pollution, and soldiers exposed to toxic chemicals (e.g., military burn pits, oil-well fire smoke). A history of ionizing radiation therapy to the head or neck is associated with an increased risk of GBM. Ionizing radiation induces point mutations, frameshift mutations, double-strand breaks, and chromosomal insertions or deletions. Mutational profiles associated with chemical exposures overlap with the broad mutational patterns seen with ionizing radiation. Data on 16 agents (15 chemicals and radio frequency radiation) that induced tumors in the rodent brain were extracted from 602 Technical Reports on 2-years cancer bioassays found in the National Toxicology Program database. Ten of the 15 chemical agents that induce brain tumors are alkylating agents. Three of the 15 chemical agents have idiosyncratic structures and might be alkylating agents. Only two of the 15 chemical agents are definitively not alkylating agents. The rat model is thought to be of possible relevance to humans suggesting that exposure to alkylating chemicals should be considered in epidemiology studies on GBM and other brain tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carr J Smith
- Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics, Pacific Palisades, CA, USA
| | | | - Chirayu Chokshi
- Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Chitra Venugopal
- Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Center for Discovery in Cancer Research (CDCR), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - J Wesson Ashford
- Stanford University and VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Sheila K Singh
- Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Center for Discovery in Cancer Research (CDCR), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Laroche E, L’Espérance S. Cancer Incidence and Mortality among Firefighters: An Overview of Epidemiologic Systematic Reviews. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:2519. [PMID: 33802629 PMCID: PMC7967542 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Firefighters are exposed to carcinogens that may increase their risk of developing many types of occupational cancer. Many systematic reviews (SRs) have been produced with sometimes conflicting conclusions. In this overview of reviews, we aim to assess the conclusion consistency across the available systematic reviews on the cancer risk in firefighters. Literature searches were conducted in several indexed databases and grey literature to retrieve systematic reviews aiming to evaluate cancer incidence or cancer mortality in firefighters. Results from included SRs were analyzed according to the tumour site. Out of 1054 records identified by the search in the databases, a total of 11 SRs were ultimately included. The original studies (n = 104) analyzed in the SRs were published between 1959 and 2018. The results consistently reported a significant increase in the incidence of rectal, prostate, bladder and testicular cancers as well as mesothelioma and malignant melanoma in firefighters compared to the general population. The SRs also indicate that death rates from rectal cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are higher among firefighters. Consistent SR results suggest that several types of cancer may be more frequent in firefighters than in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Laroche
- School of Administration Sciences, Université TELUQ, Quebec, QC G1K 9H6, Canada;
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Soteriades ES, Kim J, Christophi CA, Kales SN. Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Firefighters: A State-of-the-Art Review and Meta-َAnalysis. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2019; 20:3221-3231. [PMID: 31759344 PMCID: PMC7063017 DOI: 10.31557/apjcp.2019.20.11.3221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was conducted on the association between firefighting and cancer. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of databases including Medline, EMBASE, Biosis, NIOSHTIC2, Web of Science, Cancerlit, and HealthStar, for the period between 1966 to January 2007, was conducted. We also retrieved additional studies by manual searching. Results: A total of 49 studies were included in the meta-analysis. We found statistically significant associations between firefighting and cancers of bladder, brain and CNS, and colorectal cancers, consistent with several previous risk estimates. We also found statistically significant associations of firefighting with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, skin melanoma, prostate, and testicular cancer. For kidney, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, lymphosarcoma and reticulosarcoma, multiple myeloma, and pancreatic cancer, we found some statistically significant but less consistent results. For all other cancers evaluated (esophageal, laryngeal, oral and pharyngeal, liver and gallbladder, lung, lymphatic and hematopoietic, non-melanoma skin cancer, stomach, and urinary cancer) we did not find any statistically significant associations. Conclusions: Although our meta-analysis showed statistically significant increased risks of either cancer incidence or mortality of certain cancers in association with firefighting, a number of important limitations of the underlying studies exist, which, precluded our ability to arrive at definitive conclusions regarding causation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elpidoforos S Soteriades
- United Arab Emirates University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.,Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology (EOME), Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jaeyoung Kim
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology (EOME), Boston, MA, USA.,Keimyung University, College of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, Daegu, Korea
| | - Costas A Christophi
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology (EOME), Boston, MA, USA.,Cyprus University of Technology, School of Health Sciences, Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health in association with Harvard School of Public Health, Limassol, Cyprus.,The Biostatistics Center, The George Washington University, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Stefanos N Kales
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology (EOME), Boston, MA, USA.,Cambridge Health Alliance, Employee & Industrial Medicine, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Tsai RJ, Luckhaupt SE, Schumacher P, Cress RD, Deapen DM, Calvert GM. Risk of cancer among firefighters in California, 1988-2007. Am J Ind Med 2015; 58:715-29. [PMID: 25943908 PMCID: PMC4527530 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most studies of firefighter cancer risks were conducted prior to 1990 and do not reflect risk from advances in building materials. METHODS A case-control study using California Cancer Registry data (1988-2007) was conducted to evaluate the risk of cancer among firefighters, stratified by race. RESULTS This study identified 3,996 male firefighters with cancer. Firefighters were found to have a significantly elevated risk for melanoma (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-2.1), multiple myeloma (OR 1.4; 95%CI 1.0-1.8), acute myeloid leukemia (OR 1.4; 95%CI 1.0-2.0), and cancers of the esophagus (OR 1.6; 95%CI 1.2-2.1), prostate (OR 1.5; 95%CI 1.3-1.7), brain (OR 1.5; 95%CI 1.2-2.0), and kidney (OR 1.3; 95%CI 1.0-1.6). CONCLUSIONS In addition to observing cancer findings consistent with previous research, this study generated novel findings for firefighters with race/ethnicity other than white. It provides additional evidence to support the association between firefighting and several specific cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Tsai
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Sara E. Luckhaupt
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Pam Schumacher
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Rosemary D. Cress
- Public Health Institute, Cancer Registry of Greater California, Sacramento, California
- Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California
| | | | - Geoffrey M. Calvert
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Ide CW. Cancer incidence and mortality in serving whole-time Scottish firefighters 1984-2005. Occup Med (Lond) 2014; 64:421-7. [DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqu080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Davis SR, Tao X, Bernacki EJ, Alfriend AS, Delowery ME. Evaluation of a bladder cancer cluster in a population of criminal investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives--part 2: the association of cancer risk and fire scene investigation. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2013; 2013:986023. [PMID: 23690807 PMCID: PMC3649665 DOI: 10.1155/2013/986023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2012] [Revised: 01/06/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluated the association of bladder cancer risk and fire scene investigation within a cohort of white male criminal investigators with the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that was found to be at increased risk for bladder cancer. Medical surveillance data were used in a nested case-control study to determine odds ratios (ORs) estimating the relative risk of the cancer associated with post-fire investigation. The study comprised seven bladder cancer cases and 1525 controls. Six of the cases reported holding assignments associated with post-fire investigation. The OR for bladder cancer was 19.01 (95% confidence interval = 1.94-186.39) for those holding any one or more of these assignments for one to four years versus zero years and 12.56 (1.14-138.58) for those holding any one or more of these assignments for five or more years versus zero years. The risk for bladder cancer is significantly elevated for those holding post-fire investigation assignments compared to those not holding these assignments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan R Davis
- Federal Occupational Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, 4550 Montgomery Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
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Boers D, Zeegers MPA, Swaen GM, Kant I, van den Brandt PA. The influence of occupational exposure to pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, diesel exhaust, metal dust, metal fumes, and mineral oil on prostate cancer: a prospective cohort study. Occup Environ Med 2005; 62:531-7. [PMID: 16046605 PMCID: PMC1741065 DOI: 10.1136/oem.2004.018622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
AIMS To investigate the relation between exposure to pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), diesel exhaust, metal dust, metal fumes, and mineral oil in relation to prostate cancer incidence in a large prospective study. METHODS This cohort study was conducted among 58,279 men in the Netherlands. In September 1986, cohort members (55-69 years) completed a self-administered questionnaire on potential cancer risk factors, including job history. Follow up for prostate cancer incidence was established by linkage to cancer registries until December 1995 (9.3 years of follow up). The analyses included 1386 cases of prostate cancer and 2335 subcohort members. A blinded case-by-case expert exposure assessment was carried out to assign cases and subcohort members a cumulative probability of exposure for each potential carcinogenic exposure. RESULTS In multivariate analyses there was a significant negative association for pesticides (RR 0.60; 95% CI 0.37 to 0.95) when comparing the highest tertile of exposure to pesticides with no exposure. No association was found for occupational exposure to PAHs (RR 0.75; 95% CI 0.42 to 1.31), diesel exhaust (RR 0.81; 95% CI 0.62 to 1.06), metal dust (RR 1.01; 95% CI 0.72 to 1.40), metal fumes (RR 1.11; 95% CI 0.80 to 1.54), or mineral oil (RR 0.99; 95% CI 0.66 to 1.48) when comparing the highest tertile of exposure with no exposure. In subgroup analysis, with respect to tumour invasiveness and morphology, null results were found for occupational exposure to pesticides, PAH, diesel exhaust, metal dust, metal fumes, and mineral oil. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest a negative association between occupational exposure to pesticides and prostate cancer. For other carcinogenic exposures results suggest no association between occupational exposure to PAHs, diesel exhaust, metal dust, metal fumes, or mineral oil and prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Boers
- Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
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