title: Human lung cancer and hexavalent chromium exposure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Workers chronically exposed to hexavalent chromium have higher incidence of lung cancer. Our study investigates incidence of lung cancer types, age at onset of the disease and survival time among chromium exposed workers (smelters, tapers, crane operators) in comparison to non-exposed persons.
  
  
  METHODS
  64 chromium exposed workers and 104 male controls with diagnosed lung cancer were analysed. The average exposure time among workers was 16.71 +/- 10.02 (S.D.) years (range 1- 41 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chromium exposure significantly decreases the age at the onset of the disease by 3.51 years (62.20 +/- 9.08 years in exposed group and 65.71 +/- 10.50 years in control; P=0.018). Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) forms 25.0 % of all cases in chromium exposed workers and 16.34% in non exposed individuals. No correlation was found between the age at the diseases onset and time of exposure. The mean survival time in exposed group was 9.03 +/- 12.73 month, in control 12.14 +/- 21.94 month, but this difference was not significant (P=0.473).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occupational exposure to chromium was identified as an important risk factor of lung cancer, decreasing the age at the diseases onset. Higher percentage of SCLC was found in chromium exposed individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Comenius University, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Slovakia. halasova@jfmed.uniba.sk
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Halasova
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matakova
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kavcova
authors.forename: Ludovit
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Musak
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Letkova
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adamkov
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ondrusova
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bukovska
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singliar
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000633:toxicity*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002857:Chromium / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental; D002857:Chromium; C074702:chromium hexavalent ion