EVALUATION OF CERTAIN RISK-FACTORS FOR LUNG-CANCER IN CRACOW (POLAND)- A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

The relationship of lung cancer risk to cigarette smoking, occupationa l exposure, air pollution at permanent residence and usual frequency o f consumption of fruits and vegetables was analysed in a case-control study in Cracow, Poland. The cases were 176 male lung cancer patients diagnosed in 1992-1994 with histological confirmation of the diagnosis , obtained from the population-based Cracow Cancer Registry, and 341 c ontrols randomly selected from the general population. Classification of exposure to outside air pollution was based on measured level of to tal suspended particular matter and sulphur dioxide by particular dist ricts of town (from 1973 to 1980). Except calculation of odds ratios f or male lung cancer associated with exposures among all study subjects , the association between lung cancer risk and frequency of consumptio n of fruit and vegetables was examined among drinkers of vodka above a verage. Risk of lung cancer was increased significantly with increasin g number of pack-years of smoking (OR = 18.7 for more than 40 pack-yea rs). The significant inverse association of frequent usual consumption of boiled vegetables was present both among all subjects and among vo dka drinkers (OR = 4.6 and 12.5, respectively, for a rare consumption) . The risk of male lung cancer was negatively associated with the leve r of air pollution but positively with the percentage of occupationall y exposed. Our study provides no evidence of a significant harmful eff ect of air pollution and found a strong inverse association between fr equent fruit and vegetables consumption and lung cancer risk.