Lymphoma and Asbestos Exposure
Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the tissue of the immune system, specifically the lymph nodes. There are two types of lymphoma: Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The disease usually occurs when a lymphocyte (a type of white blood cell) undergoes a malignant change in its cell makeup. Malignant cells multiply at an alarming rate and soon crowd out healthy cells and form tumors. The tumors in these enlarged lymph nodes can spread to nearby lymph nodes and other parts of the immune system throughout the body.
Approximately 53 percent of annually reported blood cancers are lymphomas, making it the fifth most common cancer in men and women in the United States. Around 60,000 people are diagnosed with lymphoma each year, and the illness claims approximately 30 percent of those patients.
Studies on Asbestos Exposure and Lymphoma
One of the first studies to observe a relationship between asbestos exposure and lymphoma was published in Lancet, a British medical journal, in 1982. The study reported a surplus of large cell lymphomas primary to the gastrointestinal tract and oral cavity among participants exposed to asbestos. Multiple other studies have also observed an incidence of lymphomas in those exposed to asbestos.
Two case-controlled studies of gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (GINHL) published in 1982 — one from Los Angeles and the other from Sweden — found an association with occupational asbestos exposure and lymphoma. In the Los Angles study, researchers noted a 12 time greater risk of developing GINHL when exposed to “substantial” amounts of asbestos. The Swedish study found an association as well, although a much weaker one at 2.12 times greater than the general population.
Analysis from a 2001 study concluded there was a weak association with lymphoma incidence and asbestos exposure. The study reviewed 16 case-control studies and six cohort studies related to asbestos and lymphomas, all of which were published in or before 1999. The authors of the study concluded that more research is needed to define the risks between asbestos and exposure and lymphoma.
A 2003 U.S. study hypothesized that if gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (GINHL) even had a weak association with asbestos exposure, then a slight correlation may be observed when comparing geographic incidence of GINHL with the geographic incidence of mesothelioma. Using data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program, researchers found no correlation between the geographic incidence of mesothelioma and the geographic incidence of GINHL. Researchers stated, “As a result, our failure to find any correlation between the incidence of mesothelioma and GINHL in the [United States], while it does not support the hypothesis that occupational asbestos exposure predisposes to GINHL, should not be interpreted as particularly strong evidence against that hypothesis."
In a 2007 study of the commercial use of amosite asbestos at three factories, researchers charted the mortality effects of asbestos exposure on three cohorts of workers and did not report an increase of lymphomas. The workers experienced higher mortality rates from lung cancer, as well as elevated mortality from mesothelioma. Researchers did not observe a significant excess of other cancers such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as a result of their asbestos exposure.
These studies reveal the diversity of findings associated with asbestos exposure and lymphoma cancer. Some studies report a strong or weak correlation, while others find no correlation whatsoever. As such, further research is necessary to clarify if there is any association between lymphoma and asbestos exposure.
Resources for Patients
Because lymphoma is the fifth most common cancer in the United States, patients have a large amount of information available to them about this disease. Individuals afflicted with lymphoma have the option of undergoing several different treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. It is also important for patients to research the possibility of taking part in a clinical trial. Many clinical trials are experimenting with new, groundbreaking treatment methods that could be beneficial to patients.
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© 2012 The Mesothelioma Center |
Last Modified Thursday, February 9th, 2012 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
The information provided by The Mesothelioma Center is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Sponsored by a law firm concentrating in asbestos litigation, The Peterson Firm, LLP with offices at 1350 Connecticut Ave, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington DC 20036.
