Lymphoma, myeloma and occupation: results of a case-control study.

The known risk factors for lymphoma and myeloma cannot account for the current incidence rates of these cancers, and there is increasing interest in exploring occupational causes. We present results regarding lymphoma and myeloma from a large case-control study of hundreds of occupational exposures and 19 cancer sites. We examine in more detail those exposures previously considered to be related to these cancers, as well as exposures which were strongly related in our initial analyses. Lymphoma was not associated in our data with exposure to solvents or pesticides, or employment in agriculture or wood-related occupations, although numbers of exposed cases were sometimes small. Hodgkin's lymphoma was associated with exposure to fabric dust, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was associated with exposure to copper dust, ammonia and a number of fabric and textile-related occupations and exposures. Employment as a sheet metal worker was associated with development of myeloma.