Lung cancer, tobacco, and environmental factors in the African population of the Northern Province, South Africa

Objective-To measure the association between lung cancer and exposure to to bacco, occupational pollution, and environmental pollution. Design-Case-control study among incident African patients with cancer. Ques tionnaire assessment of exposure to tobacco, occupation, and place of birth . Setting-Northern Province, South Africa. Subjects-Between 1993 and 1995, 288 men and 60 women with lung cancer and 1 83 male and 197 female controls (consisting of patients newly diagnosed wit h cancers other than those known to be associated with smoking) were interv iewed. Unmatched, unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate o dds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of developing lung cancer in relation to a number of variables. Main outcome measure-Risk of developing lung cancer related to exposure to tobacco, indoor pollution, dusty work environment, and residential exposure to asbestos. Results-There was a significant increase in the risk of developing lung can cer through smoking. In men, the ORs were 2.2 (95% CI = 1.0 to 4.6) in ex-s mokers, 9.8 (95% CI = 5.9 to 16.4) in Light smokers (0-14 g/day), and 12.0 (95% CI = 6.5 to 22.3) in heavy smokers. In women, the ORs were 5.8 (95% CI = 1.3 to 25.8) in ex-smokers and 5.5 (95% CI = 2.6 to 11.3) in current smo kers. Work in a dusty industry showed an elevated risk (OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.8 to 5.8) for lung cancer only in men. Male residents of areas where asbe stos was shipped for distribution (termed moderately polluted asbestos area s) had a 2.5-fold increase (95% CI = 1.0 to 4.4) in the risk (OR) of develo ping lung cancer, and residents of areas where asbestos was mined (termed h eavily polluted asbestos areas) had a 2.8-fold increase in risk (95% CI = 0 .7 to 10.4). Female residents of heavily polluted asbestos areas showed ele vated risks of 5.4 (95% CI = 1.3 to 22.5) of developing lung cancer. Conclusion-The data suggest that tobacco smoking is the most important risk factor for the development of lung cancer in this setting. Risks for lung cancer are reminiscent of those observed in Western countries in the 1960s and 1970s. However, environmental exposure to asbestos, a dusty occupation (in men), and perhaps indoor air pollution may also contribute to the devel opment of lung cancer in this province.