Risks of developing cancer relative to living near a municipal solid wastelandfill site in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

In this study, we sought to determine whether men who lived near the Miron Quarry municipal solid waste landfill site in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, wer e at higher risk for developing cancer than individuals who lived at more r emote locations. Subjects were selected from a previously completed populat ion-based, interview, cancer case-control study of men who lived in metropo litan Montreal. Thirteen sites of cancer (n = 2 928 subjects) and a populat ion-based control group (n = 417) were analyzed. We used the exact street a ddress at the time of diagnosis to classify subjects by geographic zones an d distance from the site. We used unconditional logistic regression to esti mate odds ratios (ORs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (Cls) for ea ch site of cancer, adjusted for key covariates. In the exposure zone neares t to the site, elevated risks were found for cancers of the pancreas (adjus ted OR = 1.4 [95% Cl = 0.8, 2.6]); liver (OR = 1.8 [95% CI = 0.8, 4.3]); an d prostate (OR = 1.5 [95% Cl = 1.0, 2.1]). A high risk was also found for p ancreatic cancer (OR = 1.7 [95% CI = 0.9, 3.5]) and the non-Hodgkin's lymph omas (OR = 1.5 [95% Cl - 0.8, 2.6]) in a subexposure zone approximately dow nwind from the site. We used distance from the site as another exposure met ric, and higher-than-expected risks were found for pancreatic cancer (OR fo r living within 1.25 km of the site [OR<1.25km] = 2.2 [95% Cl = 1.0, 4.6]); liver cancer (OR<1.5km = 2.1 [95% Cl = 0.8, 5.3]); kidney cancer (OR<2 km = 1.4 [95% Cl = 0.9, 2.3]); and the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (OR<1km 2.0 [95 % Cl = 1.0, 4.0]). Data from this study and from a previous investigation a t the same site suggest that men who lived near this landfill site may have been-and may continue to be-at excess risk of cancers of the liver, kidney , pancreas, and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.