Table 3.
Bladder and lung cancer odds ratios (OR) in relation to various metrics of arsenic exposure
| Arsenic metric | Arsenic level† |
Subjects |
Bladder cancer |
Lung cancer |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | Bladder | Lung | OR* | (95% CI) | OR* | (95% CI) | ||
| Arsenic water concentrations | ||||||||
| Lifetime average: all years (µg/L) | <26 | 202 | 33 | 61 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
| 26–79 | 189 | 33 | 61 | 0.92 | (0.52 to 1.61) | 0.98 | (0.62 to 1.53) | |
| 80–197 | 142 | 71 | 85 | 2.62 | (1.53 to 4.50) | 1.70 | (1.05 to 2.75) | |
| >197 | 107 | 95 | 99 | 6.00 | (3.38 to 10.64) | 3.18 | (1.90 to 5.30) | |
| Lifetime average: before 1971 (µg/L) | <11 | 199 | 28 | 51 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
| 11–90 | 192 | 37 | 66 | 1.36 | (0.78 to 2.37) | 1.27 | (0.81 to 1.98) | |
| 91–335 | 138 | 78 | 80 | 3.87 | (2.25 to 6.64) | 2.00 | (1.24 to 3.24) | |
| >335 | 107 | 89 | 105 | 6.50 | (3.69 to 11.43) | 4.32 | (2.60 to 7.17) | |
| Cumulative: all years (µg/L-years) | <1,578 | 198 | 34 | 60 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
| 1,578–4,876 | 192 | 33 | 61 | 0.86 | (0.49 to 1.52) | 0.95 | (0.61 to 1.50) | |
| 4,877–12,841 | 132 | 78 | 89 | 2.97 | (1.76 to 5.02) | 1.89 | (1.19 to 3.02) | |
| >12,841 | 118 | 87 | 96 | 5.27 | (2.86 to 9.70) | 2.90 | (1.69 to 4.97) | |
| Cumulative: before 1971 (µg/L-years) | <372 | 204 | 34 | 51 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
| 372–2,464 | 190 | 32 | 64 | 1.03 | (0.59 to 1.80) | 1.29 | (0.82 to 2.02) | |
| 2,465–10,319 | 131 | 78 | 87 | 3.40 | (2.05 to 5.65) | 2.40 | (1.51 to 3.81) | |
| >10,319 | 111 | 88 | 100 | 6.33 | (3.54 to 11.32) | 4.82 | (2.79 to 8.34) | |
| Arsenic intake‡ | ||||||||
| Lifetime daily average: all years (µg/day) | <41 | 197 | 32 | 64 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
| 41–136 | 194 | 39 | 56 | 1.08 | (0.62 to 1.87) | 0.87 | (0.55 to 1.36) | |
| 137–307 | 154 | 64 | 76 | 3.06 | (1.75 to 5.35) | 1.24 | (0.78 to 1.98) | |
| >307 | 95 | 97 | 110 | 5.85 | (3.41 to 10.05) | 3.16 | (1.98 to 5.03) | |
| Lifetime daily average: before 1971 (µg/day) | <21 | 199 | 31 | 53 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
| 21–159 | 193 | 35 | 64 | 1.21 | (0.69 to 2.11) | 1.19 | (0.76 to 1.85) | |
| 160–525 | 154 | 70 | 73 | 3.15 | (1.84 to 5.38) | 1.63 | (1.01 to 2.65) | |
| >525 | 90 | 96 | 112 | 6.76 | (3.97 to 11.51) | 4.89 | (2.99 to 7.99) | |
| Cumulative: all years (µg) | <2,438 | 195 | 31 | 64 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
| 2,438–8,214 | 194 | 42 | 58 | 1.14 | (0.65 to 1.99) | 0.84 | (0.54 to 1.32) | |
| 8,215–19,093 | 158 | 58 | 77 | 2.58 | (1.46 to 4.56) | 1.29 | (0.81 to 2.06) | |
| >19,093 | 93 | 101 | 107 | 7.90 | (4.45 to 14.01) | 3.25 | (2.00 to 5.29) | |
| Cumulative: before 1971 (µg) | <576 | 205 | 35 | 53 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
| 576–4,429 | 187 | 34 | 63 | 1.11 | (0.64 to 1.94) | 1.21 | (0.77 to 1.89) | |
| 4,430–14,347 | 145 | 71 | 78 | 2.99 | (1.80 to 4.97) | 1.92 | (1.22 to 3.03) | |
| >14,347 | 99 | 92 | 108 | 6.82 | (3.92 to 11.87) | 4.86 | (2.92 to 8.09) | |
| Other | ||||||||
| Antofagasta 1958–1970 | No | 199 | 28 | 51 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
| Yes | 102 | 84 | 99 | 6.88 | (3.84 to 12.32) | 4.35 | (2.57 to 7.36) | |
*
Odds ratios (OR) are adjusted for age, sex, smoking, mining work, race, body-mass index, and socioeconomic status. The p-values for linear trends in odds ratios across exposure categories are < 0.001 for all analyses in this Table.
†
Exposure categories are based on quartiles in all subjects.
‡
Includes data on arsenic concentrations in water and drinking water intake.