A Cohort Study on Cancer Incidence among Women Exposed to Environmental Asbestos in Childhood with a Focus on Female Cancers, including Breast Cancer.

Sofie Bünemann Dalsgaard,Else Toft Würtz,Oluf Dimitri Røe,Øyvind Omland,Johnni Hansen

doi:10.3390/ijerph19042086

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the risk of cancer in former school children exposed to environmental asbestos in childhood with a focus on female cancers, including breast cancer. Methods: We retrieved a cohort of females (n = 6024) attending four schools located in the neighborhood of a large asbestos cement plant in Denmark. A reference cohort was frequency-matched 1:9 (n = 54,200) in sex and five-year age intervals. Using Danish registries, we linked information on historical employments, relatives’ employments, cancer, and vital status. We calculated standardized incidence rates (SIRs) for all and specific cancers, comparing these rates with the reference cohort. Hazard ratios were calculated for selected cancers adjusted for occupational and familial asbestos exposure. Results: For cancer of the corpus uteri (SIR 1.29, 95% CI 1.01–1.66) and malignant mesothelioma (SIR 7.26, 95% CI 3.26–16.15), we observed significantly increased incidences. Occupationally, asbestos exposure had a significantly increased hazard ratio for cancer in the cervix, however, a significantly lower risk of ovarian cancer. The overall cancer incidence was similar to that of the reference cohort (SIR 1.02, 95% CI 0.96–1.07). The risk of cancer of the lung was increased for those exposed to occupational asbestos, those with family members occupationally exposed to asbestos and for tobacco smokers. Conclusions: In our study, environmental asbestos exposure in childhood is associated with an increased risk of cancer of the corpus uteri and malignant mesothelioma in women.

Highlights

Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.All forms of asbestos are documented as human carcinogens [1]
Some studies investigated the risks for women following occupational asbestos exposure [4], as well as domestic exposure from living with and handling the clothing of workers directly exposed to asbestos [5]
For cancer of the corpus uteri (SIR 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.66) and malignant mesothelioma (SIR 7.26, 95% CI 3.26–16.15) we observed a significantly increased incidence compared with the reference cohort

Summary

Introduction

All forms of asbestos are documented as human carcinogens [1]. Male cancer incidence has been extensively investigated, especially following occupational asbestos exposure [2,3]. Some studies investigated the risks for women following occupational asbestos exposure [4], as well as domestic exposure from living with and handling the clothing of workers directly exposed to asbestos [5]. The majority of previous asbestos studies focused on malignant mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer strongly associated with exposure to asbestos. We with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil-

Objectives

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Discussion

Conclusion