Occupational Exposure to Asbestos and Man-Made Vitreous Fibers, and Risk of Lung Cancer: Evidence From Two Case-Control Studies in Montreal, Canada

Objective: To exanmine the effects of occupational asbestos and man-made vitreous fibers (MMVF) on the risk of lung cancer in two population-based case-control studies entailing exposure at lower levels than in historic cohort studies. Methodology: Study I (1979 to 1986) comprised 857 cases and 1066 population and cancer controls. Study II (1996 to 2001) comprised 858 cases and 1295 population controls. A detailed job history was obtained to evaluate lifetime occupational exposure to 294 agents, including asbestos and MMVF. Results: We found increased risks for substained exposure to asbestos (odds ratio = 1.78; 95% confidence interval: 0.94 to 3.36). The corresponding odds ratio for substantial exposure to MMVF was 1.10 (95% confidence interval: 0.37 to 3.22). Discussion: Low and moderate levels of exposure to asbestos, as encountered in this population, were associated with some excess risk of lung cancer. Results for MMVF were inconclusive. (J Occup Environ Med. 2008;50:1273-1281)