title: Coal mining is associated with lung cancer risk in Xuanwei, China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Xuanwei, China, experiences some of the highest rates of lung cancer in China. While lung cancer risk has been linked to the household use of bituminous coal, no study has comprehensively evaluated the risk of lung cancer associated with the mining of this coal in Xuanwei. In Xuanwei, coal is typically extracted from underground mines, without ventilation, and transported to the surface using carts powered by manpower or electricity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the risk of lung cancer and working as a coal miner, in the absence of diesel exhaust exposure, in a population-based case-control study of 260 male lung cancer cases and 260 age-matched male controls with information on occupational histories. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for working as a coal miner and years of working as a coal miner were calculated by conditional logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders, such as smoking and household coal use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed an increased risk of lung cancer among coal miners (OR = 2.7; 95%CI = 1.3-5.6) compared to noncoal miners. Further, a dose-response relationship was observed for the risk of lung cancer and the number of years working as a coal miner (P(trend)  = 0.02), with those working as miners for more than 10 years experiencing an almost fourfold increased risk (OR = 3.8; 95%CI = 1.4-10.3) compared to noncoal miners.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that coal mining in Xuanwei may be a risk factor for lung cancer.
authors: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7240, USA. hosgoodd@mail.nih.gov
authors: H Dean
authors: HD
authors: Hosgood
authors: Robert S
authors: RS
authors: Chapman
authors: Hu
authors: H
authors: Wei
authors: Xingzhou
authors: X
authors: He
authors: Linwei
authors: L
authors: Tian
authors: Larry Z
authors: LZ
authors: Liu
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Lai
authors: Lawrence S
authors: LS
authors: Engel
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Chen
authors: Nathaniel
authors: N
authors: Rothman
authors: Qing
authors: Q
authors: Lan
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003031:Coal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012306:Risk; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D003031:Coal