title: Occupational exposure to asbestos and man-made vitreous fibres and risk of lung cancer: a multicentre case-control study in Europe.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the contribution of occupational exposure to asbestos and man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) to lung cancer in high-risk populations in Europe.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicentre case-control study was conducted in six Central and Eastern European countries and the UK, during the period 1998-2002. Comprehensive occupational and sociodemographic information was collected from 2205 newly diagnosed male lung cancer cases and 2305 frequency matched controls. Odds ratios (OR) of lung cancer were calculated after adjusting for other relevant occupational exposures and tobacco smoking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The OR for asbestos exposure was 0.92 (95% CI 0.73 to 1.15) in Central and Eastern Europe and 1.85 (95% CI 1.07 to 3.21) in the UK. Similar ORs were found for exposure to amphibole asbestos. The OR for MMVF exposure was 1.23 (95% CI 0.88 to 1.71) with no evidence of heterogeneity by country. No synergistic effect either between asbestos and MMVF or between any of them and smoking was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this large community-based study occupational exposure to asbestos and MMVF does not appear to contribute to the lung cancer burden in men in Central and Eastern Europe. In contrast, in the UK the authors found an increased risk of lung cancer following exposure to asbestos. Differences in fibre type and circumstances of exposure may explain these results.
authors.affiliation: International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carel
authors.forename: Ann C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zaridze
authors.forename: Neonila
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Szeszenia-Dabrowska
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rudnai
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lissowska
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fabianova
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cassidy
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mates
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bencko
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Foretova
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Janout
authors.forename: Joelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fevotte
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: 't Mannetje
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boffetta
mesh_terms: D001194:Asbestos / Q000633:toxicity*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002516:Ceramics / Q000633:toxicity; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019016:Mineral Fibers / Q000633:toxicity*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D019016:Mineral Fibers; D001194:Asbestos