Table 1.
Case–control studies of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, soft-tissue sarcoma, and multiple myeloma risk and in relation to pentachlorophenol exposure.
| Disease | Reference, location, demographic data | Cases and controls [no. (source)], source of exposure data | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma | |||
|
Pearce et al. 1986b New Zealand Men, age < 70 years |
83 cases (cancer registry)
168 cancer controls and 228 population controls Structured interview |
Chlorophenols: OR = 1.3 (95% CI, 0.6–2.7)
Fencing work: OR = 2.0 (95% CI, 1.3–3.01) |
|
|
Woods et al. 1987 USA (Washington State) Males, age 20–79 years |
576 cases (cancer registry)
694 population controls Structured interview |
Chlorophenols: OR = 0.99 (95% CI, 0.8–1.2)
Increased risk (OR > 1.5) for wood preservers and chlorophenols manufacturers but not for lumber grader (OR = 0.94) |
|
|
Hardell et al. 1994 Sweden Males, age 25–85 years |
105 cases (hospital records);
355 population controls Self-administered questionnaire with follow-up telephone interview if needed |
High (> 1 week continuously or 1 month total) exposure to pentachlorophenols: OR = 8.8 (95% CI, 3.4–24) | |
|
Kogevinas et al. 1995 Europe Primarily male (31 of 32) |
32 cases (death certificates for all countries; cancer registries for seven countries)
158 controls (nested case–control study within a cohort study of exposed workers)a Company records and industrial hygienist review; cumulative exposure scores for various chlorophenols and dioxins |
Pentachlorophenols: OR = 2.75 (95% CI, 0.45–17.0)
High pentachlorophenols: OR = 4.19 (95% CI, 0.59–29.6) |
|
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma | |||
|
Smith and Christophers 1992 Australia Males, age ≥ 30 years |
52 cases (cancer registry),
52 cancer controls and 52 population controls Deceased cases and controls excluded Structured interview |
Chlorophenols: OR = 1.4 (95% CI, 0.3–6.1)
4 cases and 4 controls (1 population and 3 cancer controls) had definite pentachlorophenol exposure. |
|
| Soft-tissue sarcoma | |||
|
Smith et al. 1984 New Zealand Males, age 20–80 years |
82 cases (cancer registry),
92 cancer controls Structured interview |
Chlorophenols: OR = 1.5 (95% CI, 0.5–4.5)
Variable results (ORs from 0.7 to 1.9) for fencing and sawmill/timber merchant jobs |
|
|
Woods et al. 1987 USA (Washington State) Males, age 20–79 years |
128 cases (cancer registry),
694 population controls Structured interview |
Chlorophenols: OR = 0.99 (95% CI, 0.7–1.5)
Lumber grader: OR = 2.7 (95% CI, 1.1–6.4) Variable results (ORs from 0.79 to 4.8) for other high-, medium-, and low-exposure jobs |
|
|
Smith and Christophers 1992 Australia Males, age ≥ 30 years |
30 cases (cancer registry),
30 cancer controls and 52 population controls Deceased cases and controls excluded Structured interview |
Chlorophenols ≥ 1 day: no cases with this exposure; no cases and 2 controls (1 population and 1 cancer control) had definite pentachlorophenol exposure | |
|
Hardell et al. 1995 Meta-analysis of four studiesb Sweden Males, ages 25–80 years |
434 cases (hospital records; cancer registry),
948 population controls Self-administered questionnaire with follow-up telephone interview if needed |
High (more than 1 week continuously or 1 month total) exposure to pentachlorophenols: OR = 2.8 (95% CI, 1.5–5.4) | |
|
Kogevinas et al. 1995 Europe Males |
12 cases (death certificates for all countries; cancer registries for 7 countries), 44 controls (nested case–control study within cohort study of exposed workersa)
Company records and industrial hygienist review, cumulative exposure scores for various chlorophenols and dioxins |
Pentachlorophenols: no exposed cases or controls | |
| Multiple myeloma | |||
|
Pearce et al. 1986a New Zealand Males, age < 70 years |
76 cases and 315 cancer controls | No association (OR = 1.1) with chlorophenol exposure, work in a sawmill or timber merchant, or treating fence posts
Stronger associations with fencing work (OR = 1.6; 95% CI, 0.9–2.7) and jobs at a sawmill or timber merchant that involved potential exposure to chlorophenols (OR = 1.4; 95% CI, 0.5–3.9) |
|
a
Twenty-four cohorts from 11 countries; total n = 21,183 workers, exposures to phenoxy herbicides or chlorophenols.