Benzene Exposure and Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Details

• Personal Author:
  Jones RM ; Smith AH ; Smith MT
• Description:
  Exposure to benzene, an important industrial chemical and component of gasoline, is a widely recognized cause of leukemia, but its association with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is less clear. To clarify this issue, we undertook a systematic review of all case-control and cohort studies that identified probable occupational exposures to benzene and NHL morbidity or mortality. We identified 43 case-control studies of NHL outcomes that recognized persons with probable occupational exposure to benzene. Forty of these 43 (93%) studies show some elevation of NHL risk, with 23 of 43 (53%) studies finding statistically significant associations between NHL risk and probable benzene exposure. We also identified 26 studies of petroleum refinery workers reporting morbidity or mortality for lymphomas and all neoplasms and found that in 23 (88%), the rate of lymphoma morbidity or mortality was higher than that for all neoplasms. A substantial healthy-worker effect was evident in many of the studies and a comprehensive reevaluation of these studies with appropriate adjustments should be undertaken. Numerous studies have also reported associations between benzene exposure and the induction of lymphomas in mice. Further, because benzene is similar to alkylating drugs and radiation in producing leukemia, it is plausible that it might also produce lymphoma as they do and by similar mechanisms. Potential mechanisms include immunotoxicity and the induction of double-strand breaks with subsequent chromosome damage resulting in translocations and deletions. We conclude that, overall, the evidence supports an association between occupational benzene exposure and NHL. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Animals Benzidines Biomarkers Fuel Oils Lymphatic System Neoplasms Occupational Diseases Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Animal-studies Cancer Fuels Gases Lymphatic-cancer Lymphatic-system-disorders Occupational-diseases Occupational-exposure Occupational-hazards
• ISSN:
  1055-9965
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  385-391
• Volume:
  16
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20031919
• Citation:
  Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 2007 Mar; 16(3):385-391
• Contact Point Address:
  Martyn T. Smith, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, 216 Earl Warren Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360
• Email:
  martynts@berkeley.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Benzene (CAS RN 71-43-2)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2007
• Performing Organization:
  University of California, Berkeley
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2858dd4e3fc759fa7e92fa62d827261939ef3f192163b8747eef1b7eec7e4f99706dc7fdc0c76113a1431364e23a4166e1953f39c0367fe07d31e564b497eb52
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/186030/cdc_186030_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 192.22 KB ]