[Environmental pollution from dioxins and soft tissue sarcomas in the population of Venice and Mestre: an example of the use of current electronic information sources].
OBJECTIVE
Estimating the potential carcinogenic risk associated with exposure to dioxins generated by industrial emissions and urban incinerators.


METHODS
We conducted a geographical investigation on the relationship between Soft Tissue Sarcomas (STS) and other tumours, and estimated levels of exposures to dioxins. Estimates ofthe population's exposure were derived from a historical analysis of emissions of dioxins and other pollutants, conducted by the Province of Venice in all the Venetian area in 1980-1990. Cancer cases were selected from two electronic pathology databases of Venice and Mestre, computerized since 1987. All STS diagnoses were revised in order to improve the quality of the cases in the study and cases of Kaposi sarcoma were excluded from the analysis. The 198 remaining STS--Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin' lymphoma and subjects with at least one cancer--were linked to the registry of residents and mapped according to the pollutant level estimates using GIS techniques. The same procedure was applied to cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n=822), Hodgkin's lymphoma (n=142) and to 25.568 cases of all cancer at other sites, with microscopic confirmation for comparison.


METHODS
Venetian AULSS 12.


RESULTS
Risks for STS (measured as Standardized Incidence Ratios SIR) did not show any trend related to categories of dioxin pollution. Among women, a statistically significant increased SIR of 1.69 was estimated for the highest category of exposure. The corresponding SIR for Hodgkins lymphoma was 1.94 (I.C. 1.08-1.19). No major excesses were estimated for other cancer sites.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, no consistent association between cancer risk and estimated exposure to dioxins was detected in the population under study However, a statistically significant excess of STS among women in the highest exposure category allows for the possibility of a role of environmental exposure.
Tessari
Roberta
R
Dipartimento di medicina ambientale, Università di Padova. roberta.tessari@unipd.it
Canova
Cristina
C
Canal
Fabio
F
Lafisca
Sergio
S
Inio
Andrea
A
Murer
Bruno
B
Stracca
Vincenzo
V
Tollot
Mauro
M
Simonato
Lorenzo
L
D019992:Databases as Topic; D004147:Dioxins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017745:Incineration; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012737:Sex Factors
D004147:Dioxins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants