Cancer in persons working in dry cleaning in the Nordic countries.

Elsebeth Lynge; Aage Andersen; Lars Rylander; Håkan Tinnerberg; Marja-Liisa Lindbohm; Eero Pukkala; Pål Romundstad; Per Jensen; Lene Bjørk Clausen; Kristina Johansen

Cancer in persons working in dry cleaning in the Nordic countries.

Elsebeth Lynge, Aage Andersen, Lars Rylander, Håkan Tinnerberg, Marja-Liisa Lindbohm, Eero Pukkala, Pål Romundstad, Per Jensen, Lene Bjørk Clausen, Kristina Johansen

36 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

U.S. studies have reported an increased risk of esophageal and some other cancers in dry cleaners exposed to tetrachloroethylene. We investigated whether the U.S. findings could be reproduced in the Nordic countries using a series of case-control studies nested in cohorts of laundry and dry-cleaning workers identified from the 1970 censuses in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Dry-cleaning work in the Nordic countries during the period when tetrachloroethylene was the dominant solvent was not associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer [rate ratio (RR) = 0.76; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.34-1.69], but our study was hampered by some unclassifiable cases. The risks of cancer of the gastric cardia, liver, pancreas, and kidney and non-Hodgkin lymphoma were not significantly increased.Assistants in dry-cleaning shops had a borderline significant excess risk of cervical cancer not found in women directly involved in dry cleaning. We found an excess risk of bladder cancer (RR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.07-1.93) not associated with length of employment. The finding of no excess risk of esophageal cancer in Nordic dry cleaners differs from U.S. findings. Chance, differences in level of exposure to tetrachloroethylene, and confounding may explain the findings. The overall evidence on bladder cancer in dry cleaners is equivocal.

Original language	English
Journal	Environmental Health Perspectives
Volume	114
Issue number	2
Pages (from-to)	213-9
Number of pages	6
ISSN	0091-6765
Publication status	Published - 2006

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title = "Cancer in persons working in dry cleaning in the Nordic countries.",

abstract = "U.S. studies have reported an increased risk of esophageal and some other cancers in dry cleaners exposed to tetrachloroethylene. We investigated whether the U.S. findings could be reproduced in the Nordic countries using a series of case-control studies nested in cohorts of laundry and dry-cleaning workers identified from the 1970 censuses in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Dry-cleaning work in the Nordic countries during the period when tetrachloroethylene was the dominant solvent was not associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer [rate ratio (RR) = 0.76; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.34-1.69], but our study was hampered by some unclassifiable cases. The risks of cancer of the gastric cardia, liver, pancreas, and kidney and non-Hodgkin lymphoma were not significantly increased.Assistants in dry-cleaning shops had a borderline significant excess risk of cervical cancer not found in women directly involved in dry cleaning. We found an excess risk of bladder cancer (RR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.07-1.93) not associated with length of employment. The finding of no excess risk of esophageal cancer in Nordic dry cleaners differs from U.S. findings. Chance, differences in level of exposure to tetrachloroethylene, and confounding may explain the findings. The overall evidence on bladder cancer in dry cleaners is equivocal.",

author = "Elsebeth Lynge and Aage Andersen and Lars Rylander and H{\aa}kan Tinnerberg and Marja-Liisa Lindbohm and Eero Pukkala and P{\aa}l Romundstad and Per Jensen and Clausen, {Lene Bj{\o}rk} and Kristina Johansen",

note = "Keywords: Case-Control Studies; Employment; Finland; Humans; Incidence; Neoplasms; Occupational Exposure; Risk Factors; Scandinavia; Solvents; Tetrachloroethylene",

year = "2006",

language = "English",

volume = "114",

pages = "213--9",

journal = "Environmental Health Perspectives",

issn = "0091-6765",

publisher = "National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Cancer in persons working in dry cleaning in the Nordic countries.

AU - Lynge, Elsebeth

AU - Andersen, Aage

AU - Rylander, Lars

AU - Tinnerberg, Håkan

AU - Lindbohm, Marja-Liisa

AU - Pukkala, Eero

AU - Romundstad, Pål

AU - Jensen, Per

AU - Clausen, Lene Bjørk

AU - Johansen, Kristina

N1 - Keywords: Case-Control Studies; Employment; Finland; Humans; Incidence; Neoplasms; Occupational Exposure; Risk Factors; Scandinavia; Solvents; Tetrachloroethylene

PY - 2006

Y1 - 2006

N2 - U.S. studies have reported an increased risk of esophageal and some other cancers in dry cleaners exposed to tetrachloroethylene. We investigated whether the U.S. findings could be reproduced in the Nordic countries using a series of case-control studies nested in cohorts of laundry and dry-cleaning workers identified from the 1970 censuses in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Dry-cleaning work in the Nordic countries during the period when tetrachloroethylene was the dominant solvent was not associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer [rate ratio (RR) = 0.76; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.34-1.69], but our study was hampered by some unclassifiable cases. The risks of cancer of the gastric cardia, liver, pancreas, and kidney and non-Hodgkin lymphoma were not significantly increased.Assistants in dry-cleaning shops had a borderline significant excess risk of cervical cancer not found in women directly involved in dry cleaning. We found an excess risk of bladder cancer (RR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.07-1.93) not associated with length of employment. The finding of no excess risk of esophageal cancer in Nordic dry cleaners differs from U.S. findings. Chance, differences in level of exposure to tetrachloroethylene, and confounding may explain the findings. The overall evidence on bladder cancer in dry cleaners is equivocal.

AB - U.S. studies have reported an increased risk of esophageal and some other cancers in dry cleaners exposed to tetrachloroethylene. We investigated whether the U.S. findings could be reproduced in the Nordic countries using a series of case-control studies nested in cohorts of laundry and dry-cleaning workers identified from the 1970 censuses in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Dry-cleaning work in the Nordic countries during the period when tetrachloroethylene was the dominant solvent was not associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer [rate ratio (RR) = 0.76; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.34-1.69], but our study was hampered by some unclassifiable cases. The risks of cancer of the gastric cardia, liver, pancreas, and kidney and non-Hodgkin lymphoma were not significantly increased.Assistants in dry-cleaning shops had a borderline significant excess risk of cervical cancer not found in women directly involved in dry cleaning. We found an excess risk of bladder cancer (RR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.07-1.93) not associated with length of employment. The finding of no excess risk of esophageal cancer in Nordic dry cleaners differs from U.S. findings. Chance, differences in level of exposure to tetrachloroethylene, and confounding may explain the findings. The overall evidence on bladder cancer in dry cleaners is equivocal.

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 16451857

SN - 0091-6765

VL - 114

SP - 213

EP - 219

JO - Environmental Health Perspectives

JF - Environmental Health Perspectives

IS - 2

ER -

Cancer in persons working in dry cleaning in the Nordic countries.

Abstract

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