CANCER RISK AMONG WORKERS IN BIOMEDICAL-RESEARCH

Objective This epidemiologic study was undertaken after a cluster of f ive cases of rare forms of cancer (bone sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphom a) had been observed among biomedical research workers at the Pasteur Institute in Paris to ascertain whether their disease was connected wi th exposure during this research. Methods A mortality study included 3 765 people who worked at the Pasteur Institute between 1971 and 1986 a nd were followed until the end of 1987. Within this cohort a nested ca se-referent study included 23 cases of cancer [non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (6), multiple myeloma (1), leukemia (3), pancreatic cancer (7), bone c ancer (3), brain tumor (3)], and four referents per case, matched for gender and year of birth. Results Total mortality from cancer was less than expected, the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) being 72 for th e men and 82 for the women. Among the women the proportion of pancreat ic cancer cases was larger than expected [SMR 490, 95% confidence inte rval (95% CI) 158-1144], as was the number of brain cancer cases (SMR 239, 95% CI 48-696). Among the men, mortality from bone cancer was gre ater than expected (SMR 553, 95% CI 62-2006). In the nested case-refer ent study, more cases than referents had worked in the areas of molecu lar biology [odds ratio (OR) 7.1, 95% CI 1.5-33] and microbial genetic s (OR 6.7, 95% CI 1.3-35). These cases especially included non-Hodgkin 's lymphoma and bone cancer. Associated with this finding was the fact that more cases had used certain chemicals, including ethidium bromid e, acrylamide, methylnitro-nitrosoguanidine and ethylmethanesulfonate, and radioactive compounds (essentially (32)phosphorus). Conclusions A s the products used are potent genotoxicants, the present findings sug gest that work in biomedical research might well involve an increased risk of certain types of cancer; this conclusion should be balanced by the fact that two of the five index cases were included in the mortal ity study and four in the nested case-referent study.