American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 139, No. 12: 1210-1222
Copyright © 1994 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
research-article |
A Meta-Analysis of Colorectal Cancer and Asbestos Exposure
1Occupational Health Program, Department of Environmental and Industrial Health, University of Michigan School of Public Health Ann Arbor, MI
2Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Hearth Ann Arbor, MI
3Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health Ann Arbor, MI
Reprint requests to Dr. David H. Garabrant, Occupational Health Program, Department of Environmental and Industrial Health, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029
A meta-analysis of the relation between asbestos exposure and colorectal cancer mortality was conducted, using published reports of 20 asbestos-exposed cohorts. Summary standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for colorectal cancer were examined in relation to asbestos type and estimates of dust exposure (as direct estimators of asbestos exposure) and in relation to lung cancer SMR and the proportion of all deaths due to mesothelioma (as proxy estimators of asbestos exposure). An elevated summary SMR was observed in cohorts exposed to amphibole asbestos (summary SMR = 1.47; 95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.09–2.00), but not in cohorts exposed to serpentine asbestos (summary SMR = 1.04; 95% Cl 0.81–1.33) or in cohorts exposed to both serpentine and amphibole asbestos (summary SMR = 1.03; 95% Cl 0.74–1.42). Cohorts having a lung cancer SMR greater than 2.00 had a summary SMR of 1.51 (95% Cl 1.29–1.76), and cohorts in which more than 1 % of all deaths were attributed to mesothelioma had a summary SMR of 1.24 (95% Cl 0.94–1.64), After stratifying the cohorts based on mortality due to all cancers excluding those known or suspected to be associated with asbestos exposure, lung cancer mortality was not clearly associated with colorectal cancer mortality, suggesting that the crude association between these factors may be due to misdiagnosis of lung cancer as other types of cancer in the reported causes of death. These results suggest that exposure to amphibole asbestos may be associated with colorectal cancer, but these findings may reflect an artifact of miscertification of cause of death. The results also suggest that serpentine asbestos is not associated with colorectal cancer.
asbestos; colonic neoplasms; meta-analysis; occupational diseases
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A W Musk, N H de Klerk, A Reid, G L Ambrosini, L Fritschi, N J Olsen, E Merler, M S T Hobbs, and G Berry Mortality of former crocidolite (blue asbestos) miners and millers at Wittenoom Occup. Environ. Med., August 1, 2008; 65(8): 541 - 543. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 O. A. Aliyu, M. R. Cullen, M. J. Barnett, J. R. Balmes, B. Cartmel, C. A. Redlich, C. A. Brodkin, S. Barnhart, L. Rosenstock, L. Israel, et al. Evidence for Excess Colorectal Cancer Incidence among Asbestos-exposed Men in the Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial Am. J. Epidemiol., November 1, 2005; 162(9): 868 - 878. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Diagnosis and Initial Management of Nonmalignant Diseases Related to Asbestos Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., September 15, 2004; 170(6): 691 - 715. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 I. M. Lipkus, C. S. Skinner, L. S. G. Green, J. Dement, G. P. Samsa, and D. Ransohoff Modifying Attributions of Colorectal Cancer Risk Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., April 1, 2004; 13(4): 560 - 566. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|