BACKGROUND: Occupational exposure to formaldehyde has been associated with excess risk of nasopharyngeal and selected other cancers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed and pooled the results of cohort studies published through February 2007. RESULTS: There were 5651 deaths from all cancers observed in six cohorts of industry workers and six of professionals, with a pooled relative risk (RR) of 0.95 for industry workers and of 0.87 for professionals. Nine deaths from nasopharyngeal cancer in three cohorts of industry workers yielded a pooled RR of 1.33, which declined to 0.49 after excluding six cases from one US plant. The pooled RR for lung cancer was 1.06 in industry workers and 0.63 in professionals. Corresponding values were 1.09 and 0.96 for oral and pharyngeal, 0.92 and 1.56 for brain, 0.85 and 1.31 for all lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers, and 0.90 and 1.39 for leukemia. CONCLUSIONS: Comprehensive review of cancer in industry workers and professionals exposed to formaldehyde shows no appreciable excess risk for oral and pharyngeal, sinonasal or lung cancers. A non-significantly increased RR for nasopharyngeal cancer among industry workers is attributable to a cluster of deaths in a single plant. For brain cancer and lymphohematopoietic neoplasms there were modestly elevated risks in professionals, but not industry workers.
BACKGROUND: Occupational exposure to formaldehyde has been associated with excess risk of nasopharyngeal and selected other cancers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed and pooled the results of cohort studies published through February 2007. RESULTS: There were 5651 deaths from all cancers observed in six cohorts of industry workers and six of professionals, with a pooled relative risk (RR) of 0.95 for industry workers and of 0.87 for professionals. Nine deaths from nasopharyngeal cancer in three cohorts of industry workers yielded a pooled RR of 1.33, which declined to 0.49 after excluding six cases from one US plant. The pooled RR for lung cancer was 1.06 in industry workers and 0.63 in professionals. Corresponding values were 1.09 and 0.96 for oral and pharyngeal, 0.92 and 1.56 for brain, 0.85 and 1.31 for all lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers, and 0.90 and 1.39 for leukemia. CONCLUSIONS: Comprehensive review of cancer in industry workers and professionals exposed to formaldehyde shows no appreciable excess risk for oral and pharyngeal, sinonasal or lung cancers. A non-significantly increased RR for nasopharyngeal cancer among industry workers is attributable to a cluster of deaths in a single plant. For brain cancer and lymphohematopoietic neoplasms there were modestly elevated risks in professionals, but not industry workers.
Authors: Lorenz R Rhomberg; Lisa A Bailey; Julie E Goodman; Ali K Hamade; David Mayfield Journal: Crit Rev Toxicol Date: 2011-06-02 Impact factor: 5.635
Authors: Tewes Tralau; Pierre Lafite; Colin Levy; John P Combe; Nigel S Scrutton; David Leys Journal: J Biol Chem Date: 2009-04-15 Impact factor: 5.157
Authors: Sibylle Gündisch; Julia Slotta-Huspenina; Paolo Verderio; Chiara Maura Ciniselli; Sara Pizzamiglio; Christina Schott; Enken Drecoll; Christian Viertler; Kurt Zatloukal; Marcel Kap; Peter Riegman; Irene Esposito; Katja Specht; Gregor Babaryka; Martin Asslaber; Koppany Bodó; Michael den Bakker; Jan den Hollander; Falko Fend; Jens Neumann; Simone Reu; Aurel Perren; Rupert Langer; Alessandro Lugli; Ingrid Becker; Thomas Richter; Gian Kayser; Annette M May; Fatima Carneiro; José Manuel Lopes; Leslie Sobin; Heinz Höfler; Karl-Friedrich Becker Journal: Virchows Arch Date: 2014-08-02 Impact factor: 4.064