Evidence of Wood Dust Cancers

TUC Risks 1st March 2008 reported that wood dust exposure at work greatly increases the risk of a range of cancers, a study has found. Wood dust is already rated as a cause of cancer in humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and is a well-accepted cause of occupational sinus and nasal cancers. Researchers have also linked it to a tripling of the risk of lung cancer in exposed workers. Now a study has linked occupational exposure to wood dust to 'other upper aero digestive tract and respiratory (UADR) cancers'.

US researchers examined the effect of self reported wood dust exposure on 1,522 males with these cancers (241 oral and oropharyngeal, 90 nasal cavity, nasopharyngeal and hypopharyngeal, 124 laryngeal, 809 lung and tracheal and 258 cancers of oesophagus and gastric cardia) and compared them to an identical number of controls, correcting for other risk factors like smoking.

The report, released online ahead of publication in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, found 'regular wood dust exposure was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of 32 per cent for all UADR cancers'. The increase was 69 per cent for lung cancer, almost double (82-93 per cent) for squamous cell, small cell and adenocarcinoma of the lung and more than twice the risk for squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal cavity, nasopharynx and hypopharynx. The greater the reported wood dust exposure, the higher the risk.

The team found significant increases in the risk of laryngeal and lung cancers was observed in those with wood dust exposure for more than 20 years. They concluded 'wood dust exposure is a potential risk factor for UADR cancers, especially for cancers of nasal cavity, nasopharynx, larynx and lung.' A major international occupational and environmental cancer prevention conference for trade union officers, union reps, cancer prevention activists, occupational disease victims' advocates and others and featuring top experts from around the world is to take place in Scotland in April.