title: Risk of selected cancers due to occupational exposure to chlorinated solvents in a case-control study in Montreal.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between exposure to chlorinated solvents and cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a case-control study of occupational exposures and cancer in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, including 3730 cancer cases and 533 population controls. Occupational exposures were derived using a combination of subject-reported job history and expert assessment. We examined the associations between two chemical families and six chlorinated solvents with 11 sites of cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of the associations examined were null, although many were based on small numbers. We found two significantly elevated odds ratios (ORs), one between perchloroethylene and prostate cancer (OR = 4.3; 95% CI: 1.4 to 13) and another between trichloroethylene and melanoma (OR = 3.2; 95% CI: 1.0 to 9.9).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was little evidence of associations between chlorinated solvents and cancer. Limited power precludes strong inferences about absence of risk. We raise hypotheses about two possible associations: perchloroethylene with prostate cancer and trichloroethylene with melanoma.
authors.affiliation: University of Montreal Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Krista Yorita
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vizcaya
authors.forename: Harriet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lavoué
authors.forename: Kristan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aronson
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Siemiatycki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012997:Solvents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013750:Tetrachloroethylene / Q000009:adverse effects; D014241:Trichloroethylene / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D012997:Solvents; D014241:Trichloroethylene; D013750:Tetrachloroethylene