Do cooking fuels pose a risk for lung cancer? A case-control study of women in Hong Kong.

Two hundred female lung cancer patients and 200 female district controls in Hong Kong were interviewed about their previous use of various types of cooking fuels to assess whether any association could be found with lung cancer risk. Mixed results were found when the data were analyzed in terms of ever-exposed vs never-exposed duration, and relationship with smoking. Cases were found to have slightly more exposure to kerosene, whereas controls were likely to have used the cleaner, but more expensive, liquid petroleum gas (LPG) type of fuel. Because the evidence was conflicting if evaluated in terms of consistency, strength, specificity, and coherence of the associations, it was concluded that the small differences in exposure levels between the cases and controls probably reflected their socio-economic circumstances rather than risk for lung cancer. No interaction effect was found between kerosene exposure and smoking.