Interaction between tobacco smoking and occupational exposures in the causation of lung cancer

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · JOM, J. Occup. Med.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5735620

Steenland, K; Thun, M

The nature of the interaction between smoking and occupational exposure is controversial, in part because of lack of agreement on the definition of interaction and in part because of the scarcity of adequate epidemiologic data. Occupational investigators have assessed interaction primarily as a departure from an additive rather than from a multiplicative model of relative risks (or rate ratios). To determine whether smoking modifies the effect of occupational lung carcinogens, the literature was reviewed for the only four established occupational lung carcinogens for which there are data on smoking: radon daughters, asbestos, arsenic, and chloromethyl ethers. Where possible, departure was assessed from both an additive (synergism) and a multiplicative model (effect modification). Only nine studies were considered to have sufficient sample size and to provide sufficient information on tobacco use and occupational exposure to evaluate interaction. The existing data were contradictory for three of the agents studied: asbestos, radon daughters, and arsenic. Inconclusive or contradictory findings may result from small sample size or lack of comparability of the level of occupational or tobacco exposure. It is noteworthy that, for these four agents, whenever smoking did modify the effect of occupational exposure, the lung cancer rate ratio was greater for nonsmokers (compared to nonexposed nonsmokers) than smokers (compared to nonexposed smokers). However, with the exception of chloromethyl ethers, absolute lung cancer rates were higher for smokers than nonsmokers, regardless of occupational exposure.37 references.

• Research Organization: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH
• OSTI ID: 5735620
• Journal Information: JOM, J. Occup. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: JOM, J. Occup. Med.; (United States) Vol. 2; ISSN JJOMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
ARSENIC
ASBESTOS
BODY
CARCINOMAS
COLLOIDS
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
ETHERS
FLUIDS
GASES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
ISOTOPES
LUNGS
NEOPLASMS
NONMETALS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
RADON
RARE GASES
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
SEMIMETALS
SMOKES
SOLS
SYNERGISM
TOBACCO SMOKES