Exposure to phenoxyacetic acids, chlorophenols, or organic solvents in relation to histopathology, stage, and anatomical localization of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Results on 105 cases with histopathologically confirmed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and 335 controls from a previously published case-control study on malignant lymphoma are presented together with some extended analyses. No occupation was a risk factor for NHL. Exposure to phenoxyacetic acids yielded, in the univariate analysis, an odds ratio of 5.5 with a 95% confidence interval of 2.7-11. Most cases and controls were exposed to a commercial mixture of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Exposure to chlorophenols gave an odds ratio of 4.8 (2.7-8.8) with pentachlorophenol being the most common type. Exposure to organic solvents yielded an odds ratio of 2.4 (1.4-3.9). These results were not significantly changed in the multivariate analysis. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, asbestos, smoking, and oral snuff were not associated with an increased risk for NHL. The results regarding increased risk for NHL following exposure to phenoxyacetic acids, chlorophenols, or organic solvents were not affected by histopathological type, disease stage, or anatomical site of disease presentation. Median survival was somewhat longer in cases exposed to organic solvents than the rest. This was explained by more prevalent exposure to organic solvents in the group of cases with good prognosis NHL histopathology.