Lung cancer and occupational risk factors in Greece

This study estimated the proportion of lung cancer in Greece that was attri butable to occupational exposure. Two hundred eighty-two patients with lung cancer and 494 controls were interviewed about their socioeconomic charact eristics, sex, age, and occupational, smoking, and residential histories. E ach subject was classified as exposed or unexposed to known occupational lu ng carcinogens, Because of the small number of females exposed, only males were included in the multivariate analyses. When the occupationally exposed subjects were compared with the unexposed subjects and an adjustment for s moking was made, the relative risk fm lung cancer was 2.9 (95% confidence i nterval, 1.95-4.31). If 5% to 10% of the Greek population were occupational ly exposed, the attributable risk would be 9.9% to 16.6%, respectively. Occ upational exposures conferred an additional risk that was approximately thr eefold that of smoking alone, Risks increased in a dose-response fashion wi th increasing cigarette consumption.