An updated meta-analysis of formaldehyde exposure and upper respiratory tract cancers. 1997

J J Collins, and J F Acquavella, and N A Esmen
Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Mo. 63167, USA.

In this study, we summarize 47 epidemiologic studies related to formaldehyde exposure and use meta-analytic techniques to assess findings for cancers of the lung, nose/nasal sinuses, and nasopharynx. Our analyses indicate that workers with formaldehyde exposure have essentially null findings for lung cancer and a slight deficit of sinonasal cancer. Nasopharyngeal cancer rates were elevated moderately in a minority of studies. Most studies, however, did not find any nasopharyngeal cancers, and many failed to report their findings. After correcting for underreporting, we found a meta relative risk of 1.0 for cohort studies. Case-control studies had a meta relative risk of 1.3. Our review of the exposure literature indicated that the nasopharyngeal cancer case-control studies represented much lower and less certain exposures than the cohort studies. We conclude that the available studies do not support a causal relation between formaldehyde exposure and nasopharyngeal cancer. This conclusion conflicts with conclusions from two previous meta-analyses, primarily because of our consideration of unreported data.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D009784 Occupational Diseases Diseases caused by factors involved in one's employment. Diseases, Occupational,Occupational Illnesses,Disease, Occupational,Illnesse, Occupational,Illnesses, Occupational,Occupational Disease,Occupational Illnesse
D012142 Respiratory Tract Neoplasms Tumors or cancer of the RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. Respiratory Neoplasms,Respiratory System Neoplasms,Neoplasm, Respiratory,Neoplasm, Respiratory System,Neoplasm, Respiratory Tract,Respiratory Neoplasm,Respiratory System Neoplasm,Respiratory Tract Neoplasm
D002274 Carcinogens, Environmental Carcinogenic substances that are found in the environment. Environmental Carcinogens
D005260 Female Females
D005557 Formaldehyde A highly reactive aldehyde gas formed by oxidation or incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. In solution, it has a wide range of uses: in the manufacture of resins and textiles, as a disinfectant, and as a laboratory fixative or preservative. Formaldehyde solution (formalin) is considered a hazardous compound, and its vapor toxic. (From Reynolds, Martindale The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 30th ed, p717) Formalin,Formol,Methanal,Oxomethane
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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