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Risks of Pathologists Exposed to Formaldehyde.

PB91173682

Publication Date	1989
Personal Author	Matanoski, G. M.
Page Count	34
Abstract	A study was conducted to determine if pathologists with exposure to formaldehyde (50000) demonstrate an excess risk of cancer, particularly cancers of the nasopharyngeal and pharyngeal areas. A population of 6411 physicians with occupational formaldehyde exposure participated in the study. The occurrence of these types of cancers was 4.7 times higher in these persons than in a comparable sized group of psychiatrists, but even so it is difficult to determine the importance of the increased risk as being directly tied to formaldehyde exposure. Pathologists and other members of the study group were exposed to other chemicals and infectious agents as well as formaldehyde. There was an apparent excess of mortality from pancreatic cancer and brain cancers as well as leukemia. The study indicates that it is difficult to see how a large dose of the agent could be absorbed and reach these areas of the body since formaldehyde is such an irritating substance.
Keywords	Pathology Occupational exposure Formaldehyde Carcinogenesis Risk factors Dose-response relationships Comparative study Brain neoplasms Epidemiology Tables(Data) Psychiatry Mortality Pancreatic neoplasms
Source Agency	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NTIS Subject Category	44G - Environmental & Occupational Factors 57U - Public Health & Industrial Medicine 57O - Pathology 94D - Job Environment
Corporate Authors	Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD. Dept. of Epidemiology.; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Document Type	Technical Report
Title Note	Final rept.
NTIS Issue Number	199114

Risks of Pathologists Exposed to Formaldehyde.

Risks of Pathologists Exposed to Formaldehyde.
PB91173682

Publication Date	1989
Personal Author	Matanoski, G. M.
Page Count	34
Abstract	A study was conducted to determine if pathologists with exposure to formaldehyde (50000) demonstrate an excess risk of cancer, particularly cancers of the nasopharyngeal and pharyngeal areas. A population of 6411 physicians with occupational formaldehyde exposure participated in the study. The occurrence of these types of cancers was 4.7 times higher in these persons than in a comparable sized group of psychiatrists, but even so it is difficult to determine the importance of the increased risk as being directly tied to formaldehyde exposure. Pathologists and other members of the study group were exposed to other chemicals and infectious agents as well as formaldehyde. There was an apparent excess of mortality from pancreatic cancer and brain cancers as well as leukemia. The study indicates that it is difficult to see how a large dose of the agent could be absorbed and reach these areas of the body since formaldehyde is such an irritating substance.
Keywords	Pathology Occupational exposure Formaldehyde Carcinogenesis Risk factors Dose-response relationships Comparative study Brain neoplasms Epidemiology Tables(Data) Psychiatry Mortality Pancreatic neoplasms
Source Agency	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NTIS Subject Category	44G - Environmental & Occupational Factors 57U - Public Health & Industrial Medicine 57O - Pathology 94D - Job Environment
Corporate Authors	Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD. Dept. of Epidemiology.; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Document Type	Technical Report
Title Note	Final rept.
NTIS Issue Number	199114