Factory workers who are routinely exposed to the industrial chemical formaldehyde may have an increased risk of leukemia and lung cancer, according to two large studies that followed U.S. and British factory workers for an extended period of time.
Formaldehyde is used extensively in the production of common items including photographic film, plywood, and wrinkle-free clothing. It is also used as an antimicrobial agent in cosmetics and as a fumigant in agriculture. Prolonged exposure to high concentrations of formaldehyde has been associated with cancer of the nose in rats and mice. The association between formaldehyde and risk of cancer in humans has been less clear.
Michael Hauptmann, Ph.D., of the National Cancer Institute, and his colleagues followed 25,619 U.S. factory workers and found that the relative risk of death from leukemia, particularly myeloid leukemia, and from Hodgkin's disease increased with increasing exposure to formaldehyde.
In a second study, David Coggon, D.M., of the Southampton General Hospital in the United Kingdom, and his colleagues followed 14,014 British factory workers and found that exposure to formaldehyde was possibly associated with a higher-than-expected number of deaths from lung cancer.
Despite these results, the authors of both studies caution against drawing definitive conclusions about the carcinogenicity of formaldehyde in humans.
Contact: NCI Press Office, 301-496-6641, ncipressofficers@mail.nih.gov; Meline Burke, Southampton General Hospital, 44-23-8059-5457. m.burke@soton.ac.uk.
Titles of additional articles appearing in the November 5 JNCI:
- Prostate Carcinogenesis in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (NMU)--Testosterone-Treated Rats Fed Tomato Powder, Lycopene, or Energy-Restricted Diets: http://www.eurekalert.org/emb_releases/2003-11/jotn-wtp103003.php
- Apoptotic Action of 17â-Estradiol in Raloxifene-Resistant MCF-7 Cells In Vitro and In Vivo: http://www.eurekalert.org/emb_releases/2000-12/jotn-eha103003.php
- Paradoxical Action of Fulvestrant in Estradiol-Induced Regression of Tamoxifen-Stimulated Breast Cancer: http://www.eurekalert.org/emb_releases/2000-12/jotn-eha103003.php
- Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Pharmacodynamic Markers of the Heat Shock protein 90 Inhibitor, 17-Allylamino, 17-Demethoxygeldanamycin (17AAG) in Human Colon Cancer Models. Yuen-Li Chung (St. George's Hospital Medical School), et al.
- Brief Communication: Quantitative GSTP1 Methylation and the Detection of Prostate Adenocarcinoma in Sextant Biopsies. Susan V. Harden (The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), et al.
Note: The Journal of the National Cancer Institute is published by Oxford University Press and is not affiliated with the National Cancer Institute. Attribution to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute is requested in all news coverage.
Journal
JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute