title: Association between Occupational Exposure to Wood Dust and Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To perform a systematic review to analyze the association between occupational exposure to wood dust and cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic literature search of entries made in the MEDLINE-PubMed database between 1957 and 2013 was conducted to identify studies that had assessed the relationship between occupational exposure to wood dust and different types of cancer. A meta-analysis of selected case-control and cohort studies was subsequently performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 114 studies were identified and 70 were selected for review. Of these, 42 studies focused on the relationship between wood dust and nasal cancer (n = 22), lung cancer (n = 11), and other types of cancer (n = 9). Low-to-moderate quality evidence that wood dust acts as a carcinogen was obtained, and a stronger association between wood dust and nasal adenocarcinoma was observed. A lesser association between wood dust exposure and lung cancer was also observed. Several studies suggested that there is a relationship between wood dust and the onset of other cancers, although there was no evidence to establish an association. A meta-analysis that included four case-controls studies showed that workers exposed to wood dust exhibited higher rates of nasal adenocarcinoma than other workers (odds ratio = 10.28; 95% confidence interval: 5.92 and 17.85; P<0,0001), although a large degree of heterogeneity was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low-to-moderate quality evidence supports a causal association between cancer and occupational exposure to wood dust, and this association was stronger for nasal adenocarcinoma than for lung cancer. There was no evidence of an association between wood dust exposure and the other cancers examined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Salamanca, Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alonso-Sardón
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio-J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Chamorro
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, University Hospital Infanta Leonor- Virgen de la Torre, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hernández-García
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iglesias-de-Sena
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Branch Library, Medical School, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Martín-Rodero
authors.affiliation: Medical School, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marcos
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Salamanca, Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mirón-Canelo
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D014934:Wood / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D004391:Dust