Review of new evidence regarding the relationship of gasoline exposure to kidney cancer and leukemia.

Four new or updated epidemiologic studies were presented at a meeting on the health effects of gasoline exposure held in Miami, Florida, November 5-8, 1991. A focus of these studies was whether there is a relationship between gasoline exposure and kidney cancer and leukemia. For gasoline distribution workers, who have a relatively high exposure, there was some evidence for a kidney cancer relationship in three studies but none in the fourth. There was evidence for an acute myelocytic leukemia relationship in three studies. The fourth study dealt only with kidney cancer. It is possible that the benzene content of gasoline was responsible for the leukemia findings. It is uncertain whether gasoline exposure is a cause of kidney cancer.