Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The BMJ logoLink to The BMJ
. 1996 Nov 16;313(7067):1233–1235. doi: 10.1136/bmj.313.7067.1233

Avian exposure and risk of lung cancer in women in Missouri: population based case-control study.

M C Alavanja 1, R C Brownson 1, E Berger 1, J Lubin 1, C Modigh 1
PMCID: PMC2352575  PMID: 8939111

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association, previously reported in three European studies, between ownership of pet birds and the risk of lung cancer. DESIGN: A population based case-control study with a structured questionnaire administered by telephone. SETTING: Missouri, a midwestern state in the United States with a population of about 5 million. SUBJECTS: All newly diagnosed cases of primary lung cancer in women aged 30-84 years in Missouri from 1 January 1993 to 31 January 1994 reported to the state cancer registry were invited to participate (n = 652); and 629 population based controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Odds ratios were computed in relation to whether or not the study subject ever kept pet birds, the type of bird kept, and several measures of intensity or duration of exposure. Odds ratios were adjusted for smoking. RESULTS: The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for the development of lung cancer associated with keeping pet birds was 0.84 (0.65 to 1.09). The results were similar for the type of pet bird kept, the number of birds kept, the location of the bird in the house, and the duration of ownership. CONCLUSION: The keeping of pet birds carries no excess risk for the development of lung cancer.

Full text

PDF
1233

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alavanja M. C., Brown C. C., Swanson C., Brownson R. C. Saturated fat intake and lung cancer risk among nonsmoking women in Missouri. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1993 Dec 1;85(23):1906–1916. doi: 10.1093/jnci/85.23.1906. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Alavanja M. C., Brownson R. C., Benichou J., Swanson C., Boice J. D., Jr Attributable risk of lung cancer in lifetime nonsmokers and long-term ex-smokers (Missouri, United States). Cancer Causes Control. 1995 May;6(3):209–216. doi: 10.1007/BF00051792. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Alavanja M. C., Brownson R. C., Boice J. D., Jr, Hock E. Preexisting lung disease and lung cancer among nonsmoking women. Am J Epidemiol. 1992 Sep 15;136(6):623–632. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116542. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Alavanja M. C., Brownson R. C., Lubin J. H., Berger E., Chang J., Boice J. D., Jr Residential radon exposure and lung cancer among nonsmoking women. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1994 Dec 21;86(24):1829–1837. doi: 10.1093/jnci/86.24.1829. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Blair A., Zahm S. H. Cancer among farmers. Occup Med. 1991 Jul-Sep;6(3):335–354. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bourne W. R. Birds and hazards to health. Practitioner. 1975 Aug;215(1286):165–171. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Brownson R. C., Alavanja M. C., Chang J. C. Occupational risk factors for lung cancer among nonsmoking women: a case-control study in Missouri (United States). Cancer Causes Control. 1993 Sep;4(5):449–454. doi: 10.1007/BF00050864. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Brownson R. C., Alavanja M. C., Hock E. T., Loy T. S. Passive smoking and lung cancer in nonsmoking women. Am J Public Health. 1992 Nov;82(11):1525–1530. doi: 10.2105/ajph.82.11.1525. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gardiner A. J., Forey B. A., Lee P. N. Avian exposure and bronchogenic carcinoma. BMJ. 1992 Oct 24;305(6860):989–992. doi: 10.1136/bmj.305.6860.989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Holst P. A., Kromhout D., Brand R. For debate: pet birds as an independent risk factor for lung cancer. BMJ. 1988 Nov 19;297(6659):1319–1321. doi: 10.1136/bmj.297.6659.1319. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kohlmeier L., Arminger G., Bartolomeycik S., Bellach B., Rehm J., Thamm M. Pet birds as an independent risk factor for lung cancer: case-control study. BMJ. 1992 Oct 24;305(6860):986–989. doi: 10.1136/bmj.305.6860.986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Trounson A., Dawson K. Storage and disposal of embryos and gametes. BMJ. 1996 Jul 6;313(7048):1–2. doi: 10.1136/bmj.313.7048.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Weinberg C. R., Sandler D. P. Randomized recruitment in case-control studies. Am J Epidemiol. 1991 Aug 15;134(4):421–432. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Weinberg C. R., Wacholder S. The design and analysis of case-control studies with biased sampling. Biometrics. 1990 Dec;46(4):963–975. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from BMJ : British Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES