Ambient air pollution and brain cancer mortality.
OBJECTIVE
Growing evidence that ultrafine particles in ambient air can cause brain lesions in animals led us to investigate whether particulate components of air pollution may be associated with brain cancer risk in humans. Air pollution has been associated with respiratory disorders and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, but associations between air pollutants and brain cancer have not been investigated in adults.


METHODS
The analyses included 1,284 deaths due to brain cancer from the Cancer Prevention Study-II, an ongoing prospective mortality study of adults in the United States and Puerto Rico conducted by the American Cancer Society. Air pollution data from national databases for metropolitan areas were combined with residential history and vital status data to estimate exposure to particulate and gaseous air pollution.


RESULTS
We found no elevated risk for estimated measures of air pollutants, an unanticipated reduction in risk was found between gaseous air pollutants and brain cancer mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings do not provide evidence of increased risk of brain cancer mortality due to air pollutants.
McKean-Cowdin
Roberta
R
Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1441 Eastlake Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9175, USA. mckeanco@usc.edu
Calle
Eugenia E
EE
Peters
John M
JM
Henley
Jane
J
Hannan
Lindsay
L
Thurston
George D
GD
Thun
Michael J
MJ
Preston-Martin
Susan
S
D000328:Adult; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors
D052638:Particulate Matter