Exposure to ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and early-onset female breast cancer in a case-control study in Ontario, Canada.

Background: Ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of toxicologically important and understudied air pollutants. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that chronic exposure to PAHs increases breast cancer risk; however, there are few studies in nonoccupational settings that focus on early-onset diagnoses.

Methods: The relationship between residentially-based ambient PAH concentrations and female breast cancer, among those 18-45 years of age, was characterized in the Ontario Environment and Health Study (OEHS).

Residential exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO) and incident breast cancer among young women in Ontario, Canada.

Background: Air pollution has been classified as a human carcinogen based largely on findings for respiratory cancers. Emerging, but limited, evidence suggests that it increases the risk of breast cancer, particularly among younger women. We characterized associations between residential exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO) and breast cancer.

A geospatial assessment of industrial releases and pediatric neuroblastic tumours at diagnosis: A retrospective case series.

Environmental risk factors associated with malignancy of pediatric neuroblastic tumours are not well-known and few studies have examined the relationship between industrial emissions and neuroblastic tumour diagnosis. A retrospective case series of 310 patients was evaluated at a tertiary hospital in Toronto, Canada between January 2008, and December 2018. Data from the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) were used to estimate exposure for a dozen chemicals with known or suspected carcinogenicity or embryotoxicity.

Challenges associated with quantification of selected urinary biomarkers of exposure to tobacco products.

Tobacco use, of which cigarette smoking is the most common, is a global health concern and is directly linked to over 7 million premature deaths annually. Measurement of the levels of tobacco-related biomarkers in biological matrices reflects human exposure to the chemicals in tobacco products. Nicotine, nicotine metabolites, anatabine, and anabasine are specific to tobacco and nicotine containing products.

A Selective and Sensitive Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for Quantitation of Synthetic Musks in Human Serum.

Background: Synthetic musk compounds are widely used as fragrances in many consumer products; however, information on human exposure and health effects is limited. Also, analytical methods for their quantification in biological matrices are limited.

Objective: In this study, an integrated method was developed and validated for the analysis of selected synthetic musk compounds in human serum.

Insecticide use and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes: A subset meta-analysis of the North American Pooled Project.

Insecticide use has been linked to increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), however, findings of epidemiologic studies have been inconsistent, particularly for NHL subtypes. We analyzed 1690 NHL cases and 5131 controls in the North American Pooled Project (NAPP) to investigate self-reported insecticide use and risk of NHL overall and by subtypes: follicular lymphoma (FL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals for each insecticide were estimated using logistic regression.

Phthalates: Relationships between Air, Dust, Electronic Devices, and Hands with Implications for Exposure.

Exposure to phthalates is pervasive and is of concern due to associations with adverse health effects. Exposures and exposure pathways of six phthalates were investigated for 51 women aged 18-44 years in Ontario, Canada, based on measured phthalate concentrations in hand wipes and indoor media in their residences. All six phthalates had detection frequencies of 100% in air (∑670 ng m geomean) and floor dust (∑630 μg g), nearly 100% detection frequencies for hand palms and backs that were significantly correlated and concentrations were repeatable over a 3 week interval.

Pesticide use and risk of Hodgkin lymphoma: results from the North American Pooled Project (NAPP).

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between pesticide exposures and risk of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) using data from the North American Pooled Project (NAPP).

Methods: Three population-based studies conducted in Kansas, Nebraska, and six Canadian provinces (HL = 507, Controls = 3886) were pooled to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for single (never/ever) and multiple (0, 1, 2-4, ≥ 5) pesticides used, duration (years) and, for select pesticides, frequency (days/year) using adjusted logistic regression models. An age-stratified analysis (≤ 40/ > 40 years) was conducted when numbers were sufficient.

Silica and asbestos exposure at work and the risk of bladder cancer in Canadian men: a population-based case-control study.

Background: Silica and asbestos are recognized lung carcinogens. However, their role in carcinogenesis at other organs is less clear. Clearance of inhaled silica particles and asbestos fibers from the lungs may lead to translocation to sites such as the bladder where they may initiate carcinogenesis.

Early life exposure to phthalates in the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) study: a multi-city birth cohort.

Background: Few studies have examined phthalate exposure during infancy and early life, critical windows of development. The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) study, a population-based birth cohort, ascertained multiple exposures during early life.

Objective: To characterize exposure to phthalates during infancy and early childhood.

Exposure to crystalline silica in Canadian workplaces and the risk of kidney cancer.

Objectives: The causes of kidney cancer are not well understood though occupational exposures are thought to play a role. Crystalline silica is a known human carcinogen, and despite previous links with kidney disease, there have been few studies investigating its association with kidney cancer. We addressed this research gap using a population-based case-control study of Canadian men.

Glyphosate use and associations with non-Hodgkin lymphoma major histological sub-types: findings from the North American Pooled Project.

Objectives Some epidemiological studies have suggested positive associations between glyphosate use and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), but evidence is inconsistent and few studies could evaluate histological sub-types. Here, associations between glyphosate use and NHL incidence overall and by histological sub-type were evaluated in a pooled analysis of case-control studies. Methods The analysis included 1690 NHL cases [647 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), 468 follicular lymphoma (FL), 171 small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), and 404 other sub-types] and 5131 controls.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk and organophosphate and carbamate insecticide use in the north American pooled project.

Organophosphates and carbamates have been among the most commonly used insecticides, with both agricultural and residential uses. Previous studies have suggested associations of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) with some of these chemicals; however, many studies have been limited in their ability to evaluate associations with lymphoma subtypes. We evaluated the use of eleven organophosphate and two carbamate insecticides in association with NHL in the North American Pooled Project, which includes data from case-control studies in the United States and Canada (1690 cases/5131 controls).

Are cell phones an indicator of personal exposure to organophosphate flame retardants and plasticizers?

Background: Exposure to organophosphate ester (OPE) flame retardants and plasticizers is widespread and is of concern due to their toxicity.

Objectives: To investigate relationships between and within OPE concentrations in air, dust, hands, electronic product wipes and urinary metabolites with the goal of identifying product sources and exposure pathways.

Methods: Women in Toronto and Ottawa, Canada, provided a urine sample, two sets of hand wipes, access to their homes for air and dust sampling, and completed a questionnaire.

Postdiagnosis Isoflavone and Lignan Intake in Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients: Cross-Sectional Survey Shows Considerable Intake from Previously Unassessed High-Lignan Foods.

Background: Isoflavones and lignans (phytoestrogens) are dietary components with potential anticarcinogenic effects. Although the intake of isoflavones and lignans may affect breast cancer treatment and prognosis-and associations may differ by menopausal status-postdiagnosis intake data are limited.

Objective: We aimed to describe postdiagnosis isoflavone and lignan intake in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, examine differences by menopausal status and phytoestrogen type, and inform the assessment of diet and survival in future prognostic studies.

Workplace exposure to asbestos and the risk of kidney cancer in Canadian men.

Objective: Previous studies considered the role of occupational causes in kidney cancer but were limited by small sample sizes and imprecise exposure assessment. This study examined the relationship between occupational exposure to asbestos and the risk of kidney cancer across a range of jobs in a large, population-based case-control study in Canada.

Methods: Data were from the case-control component of the National Enhanced Cancer Surveillance System, a study conducted between 1994 and 1997 in eight Canadian provinces.

Occupational Exposure to Diesel and Gasoline Engine Exhausts and the Risk of Kidney Cancer in Canadian Men.

Introduction: Kidney cancer is the fifth most common incident cancer in Canadian men. Diesel and gasoline exhausts are common workplace exposures that have been examined as risk factors for non-lung cancer sites, including the kidney, but limitations in exposure assessment methods have contributed to inconsistent findings. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between occupational gasoline and diesel engine exhausts and the risk of kidney cancer in men.

Passive air sampling of flame retardants and plasticizers in Canadian homes using PDMS, XAD-coated PDMS and PUF samplers.

Passive air samplers (PAS) were evaluated for measuring indoor concentrations of phthalates, novel brominated flame retardants (N-BFRs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and organophosphate esters (OPEs). Sampling rates were obtained from a 50-day calibration study for two newly introduced PAS, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or silicone rubber PAS (one with and one without a coating of styrene divinyl benzene co-polymer, XAD) and the commonly used polyurethane foam (PUF) PAS. Average sampling rates normalized to PAS surface area were 1.

Prostate cancer in firefighting and police work: a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies.

Objectives: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate potential associations between firefighting and police occupations, and prostate cancer incidence and mortality.

Methods: Original epidemiological studies published from 1980 to 2017 were identified through PubMed and Web of Science. Studies were included if they contained specific job titles for ever/never firefighting and police work and associated prostate cancer risk estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Occupation and risk of prostate cancer in Canadian men: A case-control study across eight Canadian provinces.

Background: The etiology of prostate cancer continues to be poorly understood, including the role of occupation. Past Canadian studies have not been able to thoroughly examine prostate cancer by occupation with detailed information on individual level factors.

Methods: Occupation, industry and prostate cancer were examined using data from the National Enhanced Cancer Surveillance System, a large population-based case-control study conducted across eight Canadian provinces from 1994 to 1997.

Pesticide exposures and the risk of multiple myeloma in men: An analysis of the North American Pooled Project.

Multiple myeloma (MM) has been consistently linked with agricultural activities, including farming and pesticide exposures. Three case-control studies in the United States and Canada were pooled to create the North American Pooled Project (NAPP) to investigate associations between pesticide use and haematological cancer risk. This analysis used data from 547 MM cases and 2700 controls.

Occupational exposure to magnetic fields and breast cancer among Canadian men.

Occupational magnetic field (MF) exposure has been suggested as a risk factor for breast cancer in both men and women. Due to the rarity of this disease in men, most epidemiologic studies investigating this relationship have been limited by small sample sizes. Herein, associations of several measures of occupational MF exposure with breast cancer in men were investigated using data from the population-based case-control component of the Canadian National Enhanced Cancer Surveillance System.