title: Non-radiation risk factors for leukemia: A case-control study among chornobyl cleanup workers in Ukraine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Occupational and environmental exposure to chemicals such as benzene has been linked to increased risk of leukemia. Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption have also been found to affect leukemia risk. Previous analyses in a large cohort of Chornobyl clean-up workers in Ukraine found significant radiation-related increased risk for all leukemia types. We investigated the potential for additional effects of occupational and lifestyle factors on leukemia risk in this radiation-exposed cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a case-control study of chronic lymphocytic and other leukemias among Chornobyl cleanup workers, we collected data on a range of non-radiation exposures. We evaluated these and other potential risk factors in analyses adjusting for estimated bone marrow radiation dose. We calculated Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals in relation to lifestyle factors and occupational hazards.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for radiation, we found no clear association of leukemia risk with smoking or alcohol but identified a two-fold elevated risk for non-CLL leukemia with occupational exposure to petroleum (OR=2.28; 95% Confidence Interval 1.13, 6.79). Risks were particularly high for myeloid leukemias. No associations with risk factors other than radiation were found for chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data - the first from a working population in Ukraine - add to evidence from several previous reports of excess leukemia morbidity in groups exposed environmentally or occupationally to petroleum or its products.
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Kyiv, Ukraine. Electronic address: gudznat@gmail.com.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gudzenko
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address: hatchm@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hatch
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Kyiv, Ukraine. Electronic address: Bazyka@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bazyka
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Kyiv, Ukraine. Electronic address: leuk@ukr.net.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dyagil
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: rfr1@columbia.edu.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address: brennera@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Kyiv, Ukraine. Electronic address: Chumak.vadim@gmail.com.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chumak
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Kyiv, Ukraine. Electronic address: natalie.babkina@gmail.com.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Babkina
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. Electronic address: lydia.zablotska@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Zablotska
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address: mabuchik@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mabuchi
mesh_terms: D001554:Benzene / Q000633:toxicity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D047852:Chernobyl Nuclear Accident; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010578:Petroleum / Q000633:toxicity; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014455:Ukraine / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances; D010578:Petroleum; D001554:Benzene
keywords: Benzene; Chornobyl cleanup workers; Leukemia; Petroleum; Ukraine