Residential and occupational exposure to sunlight and mortality from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: composite (threefold) case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether non-Hodgkin's lymphoma mortality is associated with sunlight exposure.


METHODS
Three case-control studies based on death certificates of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, melanoma, and skin cancer mortality examining associations with potential sunlight exposure from residence and occupation.


METHODS
24 states in the United States.


METHODS
All cases were deaths from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, melanoma, and non-melanotic skin cancer between 1984 and 1991. Two age, sex, and race frequency matched controls per case were selected from non-cancer deaths.


METHODS
Odds ratios for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, melanoma, and skin cancer from residential and occupational sunlight exposure adjusted for age, sex, race, socioeconomic status, and farming occupation.


RESULTS
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma mortality was not positively associated with sunlight exposure based on residence. Both melanoma and skin cancer were positively associated with residential sunlight exposure. Adjusted odds ratios for residing in states with the highest sunlight exposure were 0.83 (95% confidence interval 0.81 to 0.86) for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 1.12 (1.06 to 1.19) for melanoma, and 1.30 (1.18 to 1.43) for skin cancer. In addition, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma mortality was not positively associated with occupational sunlight exposure (odds ratio 0.88; 0.81 to 0.96). Skin cancer was slightly positively associated with occupational sunlight exposure (1.14; 0.96 to 1.36).


CONCLUSIONS
Unlike skin cancer and to some extent melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma mortality was not positively associated with exposure to sunlight. The findings do not therefore support the hypothesis that sunlight exposure contributes to the rising rates of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Freedman
D M
DM
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD 20892-7335, USA.
Zahm
S H
SH
Dosemeci
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology