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Cancer and Occupational Exposure to Pentachlorophenol and Tetrachlorophenol (Canada)

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Abstract

Objective

The objective of this study is to assess the carcinogenicity of pentachlorophenol and tetrachlorophenol using data from the BC sawmill workers cohort study.

Methods

The cohort consisted of 27,464 men employed by 14 sawmills for 1 year or more between 1950 and 1995. Fatal (1950–1995) and incident (1969–1995) cancers were identified using national registries. Plant records and systematic interviews with senior employees were used to estimate dermal exposure. Comparisons were made with the general BC population and dose-response relationships were assessed using Poisson regression.

Results

There were 1,495 fatal cancer and 2,571 incident cancers. There were no large or statistically significant excesses of any of the specific cancers were observed compared to the general population. Internal analyses showed strong dose-response relationships for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and kidney cancer. These relationships were strongest when exposure was restricted to pentachlorophenol. The strength of the dose-response increased when exposure was lagged by 20 years.

Conclusions

Dermal exposure to pentachlorophenol was associated with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and kidney cancer, but not with other cancers of a priori interest.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the management, employees, owners, and the unions of the participating sawmills for their cooperation and assistance during the study. In addition we would like to acknowledge the work on the original study by Shona Kelley and many others and the technical assistance on the current study provided by Robert Hirtle, Lisa Chen, and others. This study was funded by the Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia. Additional support was provided through grants for other portions of the BC Sawmill Workers Cohort Study from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the British Columbia Lung Association, and the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

    Paul A. Demers, Hugh W. Davies, Melissa C. Friesen & Kay Teschke

  2. Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

    Paul A. Demers, Clyde Hertzman, Aleck Ostry, Ruth Hershler & Kay Teschke

Authors
  1. Paul A. Demers
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  2. Hugh W. Davies
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  3. Melissa C. Friesen
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  4. Clyde Hertzman
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  6. Ruth Hershler
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  7. Kay Teschke
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Correspondence to Paul A. Demers.

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Demers, P.A., Davies, H.W., Friesen, M.C. et al. Cancer and Occupational Exposure to Pentachlorophenol and Tetrachlorophenol (Canada). Cancer Causes Control 17, 749–758 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-006-0007-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-006-0007-9

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