EXPOSURE TO PHENOXYACETIC ACIDS, CHLOROPHENOLS, OR ORGANIC-SOLVENTS IN RELATION TO HISTOPATHOLOGY, STAGE, AND ANATOMICAL LOCALIZATION OF NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA

Results on 105 cases with histopathologically confirmed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and 335 controls from a previously published case-contr ol study on malignant lymphoma are presented together with some extend ed analyses. No occupation was a risk factor for NKL. Exposure to phen oxyacetic acids yielded, in the univariate analysis, an odds ratio of 5.5 with a 95% confidence interval of 2.7-11. Most cases and controls were exposed to a commercial mixture of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Exposure to chlorophenols gave an odds ratio of 4.8 (2.7-8.8) with pentachlorophenol being the most common type. Exposure to organic solvents yielded an odds ratio of 2.4 (1.4-3.9). These results were not significantly changed in the multiv ariate analysis. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, asbestos, smoking, a nd oral snuff were not associated with an increased risk for NHL. The results regarding increased risk for NHL following exposure to phenoxy acetic acids, chlorophenols, or organic solvents were not affected by histopathological type, disease stage, or anatomical site of disease p resentation. Median survival was somewhat longer in cases exposed to o rganic solvents than the rest. This was explained by more prevalent ex posure to organic solvents in the group of cases with good prognosis N HL histopathology.