| Risk of Cancer in an Occupationally Exposed Cohort with Increased Level of Chromosomal Aberrations Zdenek Smerhovsky,1 Karel Landa,1 Pavel Rössner,1 Marek Brabec,1 Zdena Zudova,2 Nora Hola,3
Zdena Pokorna,2 Julie Mareckova,4 and Dana Hurychova5 1The National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic
2South Moravian Regional Hygienic Station, Brno, Czech Republic
3North Bohemian Regional Hygienic Station, Ustí nad Labem, Czech Republic
4Municipal Hygienic Station, Brno, Czech Republic
5Hygienic Station of the Capital, Prague, Czech Republic Abstract
We used cytogenetic analysis to carry out a cohort study in which the major objective was to test the association between frequency of chromosomal aberrations and subsequent risk of cancer. In spite of the extensive use of the cytogenetic analysis of human peripheral blood lymphocytes in biomonitoring of exposure to various mutagens and carcinogens on an ecologic level, the long-term effects of an increased frequency of chromosomal aberrations in individuals are still uncertain. Few epidemiologic studies have addressed this issue, and a moderate risk of cancer in individuals with an elevated frequency of chromosomal aberrations has been observed. In the present study, we analyzed data on 8,962 cytogenetic tests and 3,973 subjects. We found a significant and strong association between the frequency of chromosomal aberrations and cancer incidence in a group of miners exposed to radon, where a 1% increase in frequency of chromosomal aberrations was followed by a 64% increase in risk of cancer (p < 0.000) . In contrast, the collected data are inadequate for a critical evaluation of the association with exposure to other chemicals. Key words: cancer incidence, chemical mutagens, chromosome aberrations, radon, risk. Environ Health Perspect 109:41-45 (2001) . [Online 12 December 2000] http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109p41-45smerhovsky/ abstract.html Address correspondence to Z. Smerhovsky, Group for Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, Center for Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Diseases, National Institute of Public Health, Srobarova ul. 48, 100 42, Prague 10, Czech Republic. Telephone: +420 2 6708 2759. Fax: +420 2 6731 1236. E-mail: zdsm@szu.cz The project was funded by the Internal Grant Agency of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, grant 9NJ5177-3. We thank P. Boffetta, International Agency for Research on Cancer, and E. Fitzgerald through the Fogarty International Center for additional funding. Received 9 June 2000 ; accepted 24 August 2000.
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