TABLE 8-20Selected Epidemiologic Studies—Other Nonmelanoma (Basal-Cell and Squamous-Cell) Skin Cancer (Shaded Entries Are New Information for This Update)

Study PopulationaExposed CasesbExposure of Interest/Estimated Relative Risk (95% CI)bReference
VIETNAM VETERANS
US Vietnam Veterans
US Air Force Health Study—Ranch Hand veterans vs SEA veterans (unless otherwise noted) All COIs 
Incidence—basal cell, squamous cell
1982–2003—White SEA comparison veterans only (n = 1,482). Serum TCDD (pg/g) based on model with exposure variable loge(TCDD)2531.2 (0.9–1.4)Pavuk et al., 2005
Per unit increase of –loge(TCDD) (pg/g) Quartiles (pg/g):
0.4–2.650nr 
2.6–3.8591.2 (0.8–1.8) 
3.8–5.2711.5 (1.1–2.3) 
> 5.2731.4 (0.9–2.0) 
Number of years served in SEA (per year of service)2531.0 (0.9–1.1) 
Quartiles (years in SEA):
0.8–1.355nr 
1.3–2.1500.9 (0.6–1.4) 
2.1–3.7731.1 (0.8–1.6) 
3.7–16.4751.2 (0.8–1.7) 
Attended 1987 exam—Ranch Hand personnel (n = 995) vs SEA veterans (n = 1,299)  Wolfe et al., 1990
Basal-cell carcinoma781.5 (1.0–2.1) 
Squamous-cell carcinoma61.6 (0.5–5.1) 
International Vietnam-Veteran Study
Australian Vietnam Veterans—58,077 men and 153 women served on land or in Vietnamese waters during 5/23/1962–7/1/1973 vs Australian population All COIs 
Incidence
Validation Study (expected number of exposed cases)
Men6,936nrCDVA, 1998a
Women37nrCDVA, 1998b
OCCUPATIONAL—INDUSTRIAL
IARC Phenoxy Herbicide Cohort—Workers exposed to any phenoxy herbicide or chlorophenol (production or spraying) vs respective national mortality rates40.9 (0.3–2.4) 
Mortality 1939–1992  Kogevinas et al., 1997
13,831 exposed to highly chlorinated PCDDs41.3 (0.3–3.2)
7,553 not exposed to highly chlorinated PCDDs00.0 (0.0–3.4) 
British MCPA Plant—Production 1947–1982 (n = 1,545) (included in IARC cohort) and spraying 1947–1972 (n = 2,561) (not included in IARC cohort) MCPA 
Mortality through 198333.1 (0.6–9.0)Coggon et al., 1986
NIOSH Mortality Cohort (12 US plants, 5,172 male production and maintenance workers 1942–1984) (included in IARC cohort as of 1997) Dioxins, phenoxy herbicides 
Dow 2,4-D Production Workers (1945–1982 in Midland, Michigan) (subset of all TCP-exposed workers) 2,4-D, lower chlorinated dioxins 
Through 1994 (n = 1,517)0nrBurns et al., 2001
OCCUPATIONAL—HERBICIDE-USING
WORKERS (not related to IARC sprayer cohorts)
DENMARK
Danish Farmers—incidence from linking farmers on 1970 census with national cancer registry (1970–1980) HerbicidesRonco et al., 1992
Men
Self-employed4930.7 (p < 0.05) 
Employee980.7 (p < 0.05) 
Women
Self-employed50.3 (p < 0.05) 
Employee100.9 (nr) 
Family worker900.6 (p < 0.05) 
Danish gardeners—incidence from 3,156 male and 859 female gardeners (skin, ICD-7 190–191)31Herbicides 1.3 (0.9–1.8)Hansen et al., 2007
25-year followup (1975–2001)
Born before 1915 (high exposure)280.9 (0.6–1.4) 
Born 1915–1934 (medium exposure)360.6 (0.4–0.9) 
Born after 1934 (low exposure)50.3 (0.1–0.7) 
ICELANDIC pesticide users (n = 2,449, 1,860 men and 589 women), 2,4-D used most often, little 2,4,5-T  Zhong and Rafnsson, 1996
Men52.8 (0.9–6.6) 
Men, women combined52.6 (0.8–6.1) 
ITALIAN Licensed Pesticide Users—male farmers in southern Piedmont licensed 1970–1974
Mortality 1970–1986 (n = 23,401)30.6 (0.1–1.8)Torchio et al., 1994
SWEDEN
Incident melanoma cases 1961–1973 with agriculture as economic activity in 1960 census Swedish lumberjacks—used phenoxys 1954–1967, Incidence 1958–1992 99% CIWiklund, 1983
7081.1 (1.0–1.2)
  Thörn et al., 2000
Exposed (n = 154)
Foremen (n = 15)116.7 (0.2–92.7) 
Lumberjacks (n = 139)0 
Unexposed lumberjacks (n = 241)32.0 (0.4–5.8) 
THE NETHERLANDS
Dutch Licensed Herbicide Sprayers—1,341 certified before 1980
Through 2000—melanoma, squamous-cell carcinoma, unknown skin cancer (mortality presumably attributable to melanoma)53.6 (1.2–8.3)Swaen et al., 2004
UNITED STATES
US farmers—usual occupation of farmer and industry of agriculture on death certificates 1984–1988 from 23 states (skin, including melanoma) Herbicides PCMRsBlair et al., 1993
Men
Whites (n = 119,648)4251.1 (1.0–1.2) 
Nonwhites (n = 11,446)131.0 (0.5–1.7) 
Women
Whites (n = 2,400)61.0 (0.4–2.1) 
Nonwhites (n = 2,066)31.8 (0.4–5.4) 
ENVIRONMENTAL
Seveso, Italy Residential Cohort—Industrial accident July 10, 1976 (723 residents Zone A; 4,821 Zone B; 31,643 Zone R; 181,574 local reference group) TCDD 
Incidence
20-yr followup to 1996—men and women  Pesatori et al., 2009
Zone A31.4 (0.5–4.3)
Zone B50.4 (0.2–0.9) 
Zone R880.9 (0.8–1.2) 
10-yr followup to 1991—men  Bertazzi et al., 1993
Zone A12.4 (0.3–17.2)
Zone B20.7 (0.2–2.9) 
Zone R201.0 (0.6–1.6) 
10-yr followup to 1991—women  Bertazzi et al., 1993
Zone A13.9 (0.5–28.1)
Zone B21.3 (0.3–5.1) 
Zone R131.0 (0.6–1.9) 
Other International Environmental Study
Swedish fishermen (high consumption of fish with persistent organochlorines) Organochlorine compoundsSvensson et al., 1995
Incidence
East coast222.3 (1.5–3.5) 
West coast691.1 (0.9–1.4) 
Mortality
East coast00.0 (0.0–15.4) 
West coast53.1 (1.0–7.1) 
CASE-CONTROL STUDIES
International Case-Control Studies
Alberta, Canada residents—squamous-cell carcinoma—incidence HerbicidesGallagher et al., 1996
All herbicide exposure791.5 (1.0–2.3) 
Low herbicide exposure331.9 (1.0–3.6) 
High herbicide exposure463.9 (2.2–6.9) 
Alberta, Canada residents—basal-cell carcinoma HerbicidesGallagher et al., 1996
All herbicide exposure701.1 (0.8–1.7) 

NOTE: 2,4-D, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid; 2,4,5-T, 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid; CI, confidence interval; COI, chemical of interest; IARC, International Agency for Research on Cancer; ICD, International Classification of Diseases; MCPA, 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid; NIOSH, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; nr, not reported; PCDD, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (highly chlorinated, if four or more chlorines); PCMR, proportionate cancer mortality ratios; SEA, Southeast Asia; TCDD, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin; TCP, trichlorophenol.

a

Subjects are male and outcome is mortality unless otherwise noted.

b

Given when available; results other than estimated risk explained individually.

From: 8, Cancer

Cover of Veterans and Agent Orange
Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2012.
Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides (Ninth Biennial Update); Board on the Health of Select Populations; Institute of Medicine.
Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2014 Mar 6.
Copyright 2014 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

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