June/July 2008 (vol. 05/1)

ContentsFeaturesResearch PlusCPD

Research Plus

Benzene link to NHL

A meta-analysis of 22 cohort and case-control studies produced a summary relative risk (RR) of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma due to benzene exposure of 1.22 (95% confidence interval 1.02–1.47). However, after excluding studies that were likely to have included unexposed subjects in the ‘exposed’ group, it increased to 1.49 (CI 1.12–1.97). Further exclusion of papers that relied solely on self-reported work history increased the RR to 2.12 (95% CI 1.11–4.02). Misclassifications of exposure inherent in some studies may have masked the association.

Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2008; 65;371–378.  http://oem.bmj.com/content/65/6/371.abstract

Tags

Occupational Health at Work June/July 2008 (vol. 05/1) pp35