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, Johnni Hansen, Oluf Dimitri Røe and Øyvind Omland
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Sofie Bünemann Dalsgaard: Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
Else Toft Würtz: Danish Ramazzini Centre, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
Johnni Hansen: Danish Cancer Society Research Center, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Oluf Dimitri Røe: Department of Oncology, Aalborg University Hospital, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
Øyvind Omland: Danish Ramazzini Centre, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, 1-11

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.

Keywords: uterus cancer; cancer corpus uteri; cervical cancer; mesothelioma; environmental asbestos exposure; occupational asbestos exposure; asbestos cement factory; neighborhood asbestos exposure; cancer in women (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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