ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CARCINOGENS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INCIDENCE OF LUNG-CANCER

It is presumed that carcinogens present in human lungs contribute to t he incidence of lung cancer. Most of the carcinogens are inhaled in lu ng alveoli with particulate matter through the respiratory tract. On t he basis of chemical analysis of 256 lung specimens with carcinomas re sected in the period 1991-1996, the concentration of I-nitropyrene (I- NP) was 19.7 +/- 10.5 pg/g of dry weight, and that of the dinitropyren es (DNP) was 3.50 +/- 0.14-6.26 +/- 1.76. In addition, 2-nitrofluorant hene (NF) and 3-NF were detected at a higher level of 38.6 +/- 17.2 an d 39.1 +/- 14.2, respectively, pg/g of dry weight. Concentrations of b enzo[a]pyrene, benzo[e]pyrene, benzo[k]fluoranthene and benzo[ghi]pery lene in 37 specimens collected in the period 1991-1996, were in the ra nge of 138 +/- 82-399 +/- 220 pg/g of dry weight. No difference was fo und in the concentration of chemicals deposited in lung specimens from patients with lung cancer and tuberculosis as a control. By following the prognosis of 112 patients with carcinomas, we found that the depo sition of I-NP, 1,3-DNP, and 3-NF in lung tissues influenced their 5-y ear-survival after determination of chemicals. Lung specimens were div ided into two groups of higher and lower chemical concentrations at th e levels of 18 pg/g for 1-NP, 15 for 1,3-DNP, and 35 for 3-NF, and the findings were statistically analyzed by adjusting for age, gender, sm oking status and cell type. The 5-year-survival of patients was marked ly lower in the higher concentration group than the lower group. (C) 1 998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.