Assessment of a probable relationship between influence of harmful and (or) hazardous working conditions, ambient air pollution and the incidence of malignant neoplasms of the trachea, bronchi, and lungs (c33, c34) in the male population of the Russian Federation

Abstract

In 2021, in the Russian Federation, malignant neoplasms (MN) of the trachea, bronchi, lungs (ICD – C33, C34) occupied the first place in the structure of MN in men accounting for 16.4 %. Many studies show the existence of a potential connection between impacts of occupational factors and MN development; however, in Russia, the occupational genesis of MN is rarely recognized. The aim of this study was to identify a relationship between working conditions, volumes of pollutants emitted into ambient air and the incidence of tracheal, bronchial, and lung MN in men. The data were obtained from Form No. 7 "Information on malignant neoplasms", the Report "The state of working conditions for workers employed by economic entities operating in the Russian Federation as per specific types of economic activity", and Form No. 2-TP (air) "Information on the protection of ambient air" of Rosstat. We analyzed incidence rates of malignant neoplasms of the trachea, bronchi, and lungs among working age males, as well as males aged between 40 and 65 years in 2011–2021. The study involved quartile analysis (incidence rates were standardized with the direct method); correlation analysis (Kendall rank correlation); as well as multiple regression analysis. The latter was carried out to study effects of predictors (volumes of pollutants emitted into ambient air) on the selected criterion (MN incidence). The research data were statistically analyzed using MS Office Excel 2019, IBM SPSS Statistics 26. A downward trend was established for the analyzed incidence rates in Russia. A moderate positive correlation (τ = +0.31) was obtained between the proportion of workers employed in harmful or hazardous working conditions and the incidence of MN of the specified localization. A predictive regression model was developed. The obtained results of the correlation analysis require more in-depth consideration in subsequent studies. In our opinion, oncologists need to study occupational routes of their patients. Employers should focus on primary MN prevention within corporate practices of enterprises.