REVIEW OF EPIDEMIOLOGIC EVIDENCE ON BENZENE AND LYMPHATIC AND HEMATOPOIETIC CANCERS

Exposure to benzene is generally accepted as a cause of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but the association with other cell types of leukemia and other lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers is controversial. We com piled epidemiologic research on benzene and lymphatic and hematopoieti c cancers in order to assess the pattern of associations. Eighteen rel evant community-based and 16 industry-based studies were located Four of seven studies of lymphatic and hematopoietic cancer in the aggregat e identified relative risks of 1.8 or more, and eight of 14 total leuk emia studies yielded relative risks in that range. The few available s tudies of specific histologic types of leukemia do not indicate larger or mol-e consistent elevations in risk for AML compared to other leuk emia cell types. Sporadic reports have linked benzene to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma, but. most studies do not indicate a po sitive association. Limitations in study quality, particularly exposur e assessment, pervade all of the studies reviewed, and the distinction between studies addressing benzene and those addressing jobs in indus tries that use benzene is somewhat arbitrary Nonetheless, the epidemio logic evidence linking benzene to leukemia in the aggregate, as well a s for subtypes other than AML, is no less persuasive than that for AML alone. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.