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Biomedical subjects

T Kauppinen

Publications and source records attributed to T Kauppinen.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Cancer mortality in German male workers exposed to phenoxy herbicides and dioxins.

In an occupational cohort study, the relation between exposure to phenoxy herbicides, and contaminants (dioxins and furans) and cancer mortality was investigated. A total of 2,479 workers from four plants in Germany were included, with a mortality follow-up until the end of 1989 (for one cohort, until the end of 1992). A total of 484 deaths were recorded yielding a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 101 (95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 92-111) for total mortality, and an SMR of 119 (CI = 100-141) for all malignant diseases. A variety of herbicides was produced, including those which are known to have been contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). High dioxin and furan exposure (in particular, exposure to TCDD, but also to higher chlorinated dioxins) had occurred in two of the four plants as shown by blood-fat measurements in a sample of workers. Mortality from all neoplasms increased with latency and was highest in the largest plant where the highest TCDD blood levels were recorded. An increased mortality in the total cohort from respiratory cancer (SMR = 154, CI = 115-202), cancer of the buccal cavity and pharynx (SMR = 295, CI = 135-560), and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (SMR = 326, CI = 119-710) was observed. Our findings are consistent with results from other cohorts which showed an increased overall cancer mortality and mortality of respiratory cancer after long-term exposure to these phenoxy herbicides and dioxins.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1996

Scatter correction for first-pass radiocardiography.

The effect of the dual window scatter subtraction method was tested for first-pass radiocardiography using 99Tcm. The photopeak window of 126-154 keV (20%) and Compton window of 93-125 keV (30%) were used. The set of scattered images was multiplied by a factor of 0.4 and subtracted from the primary images. The size of the correction was tested by recalculation among a group of 16 patients sent for cardiac output studies for various reasons. The average of the percentage increase following correction was 4.0% (range -1.1 to 11.7%). The size of scatter correction was rather small in individual patients, but consistent for the group of patients as a whole. There was a statistically significant difference between the raw and corrected cardiac output values.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Risk of nervous system cancer among workers exposed to lead.

Experimental animal studies suggest that lead compounds may increase the risk of gliomas. To study whether occupational exposure to lead increases the risk, we followed nervous system cancer incidence among 20,741 employees biologically monitored for their blood lead (B-Pb) concentrations. We also performed a nested case-referent study, comprising 26 male cases of nervous system cancer (16 of which had gliomas). Those cases a B-Pb > or = 1.4 mumol/L had a twofold increase in the odds ratio of nervous system cancer as compared with those employees whose B-Pb had not exceeded 0.7 mumol/L. The excess was confined to gliomas (odds ratio 11, 95% confidence interval 1.0 to 630 for B-Pb > or = 1.4 mumol/L; overall P value for trend, 0.037). We obtained lifetime information on exposure and potential confounders for 58% of the cases. The odds ratio of glioma was associated with indices of lifetime exposure to lead, and potential confounders seemed not to explain the effects. The results suggest that there may be an association between occupational lead exposure and the risk of gliomas. No firm conclusions can be drawn because of the small number of cases and loss of material.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Coffee consumption not associated with risk of pancreas cancer in Finland.

BACKGROUND: Coffee consumption has been brought to focus as a possible risk factor for pancreas cancer. After having reviewed the available evidence, an International Agency for Research on Cancer working group concluded in 1991 that the evidence in humans that coffee drinking is carcinogenic in the pancreas is "inadequate," since the available data were considered suggestive of a weak relationship with high levels of coffee consumption, but the possibility that this was due to bias or confounding was judged tenable. METHODS: The association between coffee consumption and pancreas cancer risk was examined in a case-referent study in Finland. Data on coffee consumption 20 years prior to the diagnosis of cancer were obtained from the next of kin of 662 cases of pancreas cancer and 1,770 referent (stomach, colon, and rectum) cancers. The results were expressed as crude and age-, gender-, and tobacco smoking-adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for three daily coffee dose categories 20 years prior to cancer diagnosis. RESULTS: The data failed to demonstrate any association between coffee consumption and risk for pancreas cancer. The crude odds ratios varied between 0.7 (95% confidence interval 0.3-1.5) and 1.3 (0.7-2.6), the adjusted ones between 0.5 (0.2-1.2) and 1.1 (0.6-2.1) in the different daily dose categories of coffee and between contrasts with the three referent cancers. The highest odds ratios were associated with the contrast between pancreas and colon cancer, the lowest between pancreas and rectum cancer. Adjustment for gender, age, and tobacco smoking slightly decreased the values of the odds ratios. The power of the study was low, however, to detect possible weak increases associated with coffee consumption. CONCLUSIONS: The results are unlikely to be negatively biased, and are compatible with the majority of epidemiologic results advanced, suggesting no positive association between coffee consumption and the risk of pancreas cancer.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1995

Pancreatic cancer and occupational exposures.

We conducted a nationwide case-control study in Finland to identify occupational risk factors for pancreatic cancer. We constructed the occupational exposure histories for 595 incident cases of primary exocrinic cancer of the pancreas and of 1,622 cancer controls, using three different methods. We found elevated odds ratios (OR) for ionizing radiation [OR = 4.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.6-11.4], nonchlorinated solvents (OR = 1.6-1.8), and pesticides (OR = 1.7; 95% CI = 0.8-3.4). Asbestos, chromates, cleaning agents, waxes, polishes, and most other exposures were not meaningfully associated with pancreatic cancer. Inorganic dust containing crystalline silica (OR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.2-3.5), heat stress (OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 0.8-6.6), and rubber chemicals including acrylonitrile (OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 0.9-4.7) emerged as previously unsuspected risk factors. Occupational exposure probably has a small role in the etiology of pancreatic cancer in the present-day industrialized or postindustrial work environment.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Excess lung cancer among workers exposed to lead.

OBJECTIVE: Studies on experimental animals suggest that inorganic lead is a carcinogen. The purpose of the study was to examine whether occupational exposure to lead increases the risk of cancer. METHODS: The study population comprised 20,700 workers who had been biologically monitored for their blood lead (B-Pb) concentrations during 1973-1983. The mortality and cancer incidence rates were followed among the monitored workers and compared with those of the Finnish general population. An internal comparison of the cancer incidence rates was also done between subcohorts formed according to individual B-Pb levels. Questionnaire-based information was also collected on lifetime occupational history and potential confounders, and exposure history was assessed on an individual basis with a nested case-referent design for lung cancer. RESULTS: The internal comparison within the cohort showed a 1.4-fold increase in the overall cancer incidence and a 1.8-fold increase in the incidence of lung cancer among those who had ever had a blood lead level of > or = 1.0 mumol.l-1. In the case-referent study, an increased odds ratio for lung cancer was found for concomitant exposure to lead and engine exhaust. The odds ratio for squamous-cell carcinoma of the lung was increased even when the blood lead level had been slightly elevated. Bias or confounding did not explain the risks. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that exposure to lead increases the risk of lung cancer. Co-exposure to engine exhaust and lead may be associated with the risk.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Soft tissue sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in workers exposed to phenoxy herbicides, chlorophenols, and dioxins: two nested case-control studies.

We examined the effect of exposure to chemicals present in the production and spraying of phenoxy herbicides or chlorophenols in two nested case-control studies of soft tissue sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Eleven sarcoma and 32 lymphoma cases occurring within an international cohort were matched for age, sex, and country of residence with 55 and 158 controls, respectively. Exposures to 21 chemicals or mixtures were estimated by three industrial hygienists who were blind to the subject's case-control status. Excess risk of soft tissue sarcoma was associated with exposure to any phenoxy herbicide [odds ratio (OR) = 10.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2-91] and to each of the three major classes of phenoxy herbicides (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid), to any polychlorinated dibenzodioxin or furan (OR = 5.6; 95% CI = 1.1-28), and to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OR = 5.2; 95% CI = 0.85-32). Sarcoma risk was not associated with exposure to raw materials or other process chemicals. In the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma study, associations were generally weaker than those found in the study on sarcoma. These findings indicate that workers exposed to phenoxy herbicides and their contaminants are at a higher risk of soft tissue sarcoma.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1994

Pancreatic cancer in industrial branches and occupations in Finland.

An examination of the risk of pancreatic cancer associated with occupation, by industrial branch and job title, was undertaken in a nationwide case-referent study in Finland. The results are based on job history information from the next-of-kin of 625 incident cases of primary malignant exocrinic pancreatic neoplasms, and of 1,700 cancer referents (stomach, colon, and rectum). All cases and referents were between 40 and 74 years at diagnosis. The diagnoses were made in 1984-87, and both cases and referents were known to be dead by April 1, 1990. The source of the cases and referents was the Finnish Cancer Registry. Increases in risk of pancreatic cancer were suggested for a small number of industrial branches and job titles, including stone mining (odds ratio 3.7), cement and building materials (11.1), pharmacists and sales associates in pharmacies (12.9), male wood machinists (4.1), male gardeners (6.7), female textile workers (5.4), and male transport inspectors and supervisors (9.4). The exposures potentially implicated are discussed. In agreement with the overall results of epidemiologic studies conducted elsewhere, direct occupational determinants probably do not account for a substantial share of the etiology of pancreatic cancer, at least in conditions resembling Finnish working environments some 15-40 years ago.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Chemical exposure in manufacture of phenoxy herbicides and chlorophenols and in spraying of phenoxy herbicides.

Exposure patterns are reported for manufacturing and sprayer cohorts incorporated in the "IARC International Register of Workers exposed to Phenoxy Herbicides and Contaminants." Information was based on company questionnaires, company reports, plant visits, and serum 2, 3, 7, 8-TCDD measurements. In addition to phenoxy herbicides and chlorophenols, workers in manufacturing plants may have been exposed to raw materials, process chemicals, other agents synthesized or formulated, and impurities of all these agents. Sprayers also had a complex exposure pattern, including phenoxy herbicides and some other pesticides, their carriers and additives, and residues of chemicals formed during manufacture. Occurrence of agents, including dioxins, varied between countries. Biological monitoring and industrial hygiene data were rarely available, most since the late 1970s. Exposure of workers depended mainly on the jobs they performed, but several factors influenced level of exposure. A quantitative exposure classification is not feasible in this study. Semiquantitative exposure estimates may be derived through a critical interpretation of biological monitoring and industrial hygiene data together with individual work histories.

2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic Acid↗
PubMed1993

Cancer incidence and mortality in women occupationally exposed to chlorophenoxy herbicides, chlorophenols, and dioxins.

The association between exposure to chlorophenoxy herbicides contaminated with dioxins and occurrence of cancer has been studied mainly in male populations. In animal experiments, gender differences have been recorded in the cancer response to administered 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Mortality and cancer incidence in an international cohort of 701 women from an International Register of Workers occupationally exposed to chlorophenoxy herbicides, chlorophenols, and dioxins is examined. Cause-specific, national death rates and cancer incidence rates were used as referents. Cancer risk was not increased overall, with a standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of 96 and 95 percent confidence interval (CI) of 64-137, based on 29 cases. Among workers exposed to those chlorophenoxy herbicides contaminated with TCDD, excess cancer incidence (for all sites) was observed (SIR = 222, CI = 102-422, 9 cases); this was highest in the first 10 years after exposure. No excess was observed for breast cancer, the most common cancer in this cohort. Results on cancer mortality were consistent with those on incidence.

2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic Acid↗
PubMed1993

Malignant lymphomas and leukemias, and exposures in the wood industry: an industry-based case-referent study.

Jobs and exposures in woodwork may entail an elevated risk of lymphomas and leukemias. Exposures occurring in woodwork were scrutinized in a small industry-based case-referent study of four cases of Hodgkin's disease, eight cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 12 cases of leukemia, and 152 matched referents, all from the Finnish wood industry. Past exposures to wood dust, chlorophenols, terpenes, and engine exhaust, individually reconstructed through plant- and period-specific job exposure matrices, were unrelated to lymphoma/leukemia risk. Exposures to various solvents were associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 5.6 (95% confidence interval 1.0-32.0). The OR for formaldehyde was 2.5 (nonsignificant). The results are interpreted as providing limited evidence of the role of exposure to some as yet unidentified organic solvents in increasing the risk of malignant lymphomas. Formaldehyde may be another woodwork-related risk factor for some lymphomas, but the power of the study was too low for empirical confirmation of this possibility. Leukemias did not seem to be associated with any of the exposures studied.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1993

Job exposure matrices in industry.

Job exposure matrices (JEM) are designed to link information on occupation with information on exposure to specific workplace hazards. In spite of some limitations, JEM are particularly useful in large retrospective epidemiological studies. The development of JEM designed for a company or an industrial sector have a more specific field of application than JEM used in population-based studies, and can therefore be based on a more detailed classification of occupations and better exposure information. This article reviews on-going research related to the design of JEM in support of industry-based studies. The review covers design aspects related to the structure of JEM, and specially the four main axes that may produce differences on exposure characteristics: agent (exposure), job, time and place. Attention has also been given to the different sources of information on exposure, the characteristics of the exposure and the validation of exposure estimates.

Data Collection↗
PubMed1992

Occupational exposure to carcinogens in Finland.

Finland has kept a registry on the manufacture and use of carcinogenic agents involving occupational exposure since 1979. Employers must report annually to the labor safety authorities the employees who have been exposed to carcinogens and provide information on carcinogenic agents produced, used, or formed. Out of 131 substances or groups of agents listed as carcinogenic, occupational exposure to 78 of them was reported in 1987. About half of the agents reported were used or produced in industry and half were handled on a laboratory scale. About 15,000 employees from 1,700 work departments were reported to the registry; 17% of them were women. The number of workers reported in 1987 accounted for 0.6% of the total work force. It has been estimated that at least 60,000 workers are exposed annually to carcinogens in Finland. The three most prevalent exposures--hexavalent chromium compounds, nickel and its inorganic compounds, and asbestos--accounted for over 60% of all exposed workers; only five carcinogenic chemicals were produced in Finland in 1987.

Asbestos↗
PubMed1992

Primary liver cancer and occupational exposure.

In a dynamic population-based case-referent study on primary liver cancer and occupational exposure, the work histories of 344 cases and 861 referents, derived from the follow-up of the whole Finnish population in 1976-1978 and 1981, were analyzed by industry, occupation, and agent. After adjustment for alcohol consumption, elevated odds ratios were found for the categories other agricultural workers (mainly milkmaids), clerical workers, persons exposed to welding fumes and those exposed to other inorganic dusts (mainly silica). One possible explanation for the excess among milkmaids was exposure to dust from cattle feed contaminated with aflatoxins. The excess among clerical workers was probably due to nonoccupational factors or chance because occupational exposure was generally rare. The excesses for welding fumes and inorganic dusts, although compatible with occupational etiology, contradict the results of many previous studies carried out among workers exposed to silica dust and welders.

Agricultural Workers' Diseases↗
PubMed1991

Cancer mortality in workers exposed to chlorophenoxy herbicides and chlorophenols.

Epidemiological studies have revealed an increased risk of cancer, notably soft-tissue sarcomas and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, in people occupationally exposed to chlorophenoxy herbicides, including those contaminated by 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). We report here a historical cohort study of mortality in an international register of 18,910 production workers or sprayers from ten countries. Exposure was reconstructed through questionnaires, factory or spraying records, and job histories. Cause-specific national death rates were used as reference. No excess was observed in all-cause mortality, for all neoplasms, for the most common epithelial cancers, or for lymphomas. A statistically non-significant two-fold excess risk, based on 4 observed deaths, was noted for soft-tissue sarcoma with a standardised mortality ratio (SMR) of 196 and 95% confidence interval (Cl) 53-502; this was concentrated as a six-fold statistically significant excess, occurring 10-19 years from first exposure in the cohort as a whole (SMR = 606 [165-1552]) and, for the same time period, as a nine-fold excess among sprayers (SMR = 882 [182-2579]). Risks appeared to be increased for cancers of the testicle, thyroid, other endocrine glands, and nose and nasal cavity, based on small numbers of deaths. The excess of soft-tissue sarcomas among sprayers is compatible with a causal role of chlorophenoxy herbicides but the excess does not seem to be specifically associated with those herbicides probably contaminated by TCDD.

2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic Acid↗
PubMed1991

Renal cell cancer and occupational exposure to chemical agents.

A case-referent study of occupational risk indicators of renal cell adenocarcinoma was conducted. Each incident case in Finland in 1977-1978 was matched with two population referents. Lifelong job histories were collected and translated into indicators of industry, occupation, and occupational exposures. The analyses of 338 sets of cases and referents revealed elevated risks for a history of employment in white-collar occupations; the printing industry; the chemical industry; the manufacturing of metal products; mail, telephone, and telegraph services; and iron and metalware work. A decreased risk was observed for male farmers. An elevated risk and an exposure-response relationship were found for gasoline exposure. The excess risk was highest at a latency period of approximately 30 years. The findings support the hypothesis that exposure to some constituent(s) of gasoline increases the incidence of renal adenocarcinoma in humans. Suggestions of elevated risks appeared for exposures to inorganic lead, cadmium, and nonchlorinated solvents.

Adult↗