Study Finds PCBs May Increase Risk for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

National Cancer InstituteEMBARGOED FOR RELEASE, Thursday, July 24, 1997, 6:30 PM Eastern TimeNCI Press Office

A new study suggests that risk for developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may be associated with exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). But because there is little prior research to support the finding, the investigators urge caution in interpreting the data until further studies are done to clarify this association.

The study, which is reported in the July 26, 1997 issue of The Lancet, was conducted by Nathaniel Rothman, M.D., and colleagues at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, Md., in collaboration with scientists from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore; the National Center for Environmental Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta; and Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.*

PCBs were once widely used in the manufacture of electrical transmission equipment, in certain cutting oils and lubricants, and in other commercial applications. Banned in the United States since the late 1970s, PCBs persist in the environment and have been detected in fish, meat, and dairy products, although levels have generally decreased over time. Past studies of workers exposed to PCBs have shown only weak and inconsistent evidence of a possible link with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) or other cancers.

NHL is a cancer of the lymphatic system, part of the body's immune defense system. In 1997 an estimated 53,600 new NHL cases will be diagnosed in the United States, and 23,800 people will die of the disease. Treatment most commonly involves chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy. The five-year survival rate for NHL patients is just over 50 percent. Research on the causes of NHL is needed because incidence rates have been increasing worldwide for the last few decades, and the reasons are largely unknown.

"Although studies of workers exposed to PCBs provide little evidence of an association with cancer, we believe it is important to inform the research community of this new, unexpected finding of an association between PCB levels and risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma," Rothman said.

The study population was selected from a group of 25,802 adults who lived in Washington County, Md., in 1974 and who participated in a study of cancer and stroke conducted by Johns Hopkins University researchers. As part of that study, the participants provided blood samples, which were stored for future studies. PCB exposure levels in the general population of Washington County were found to be similar to average U.S. levels in the 1970s.

Of the original study group, 74 persons were diagnosed with NHL between Jan. 1, 1975, and May 31, 1994. Blood levels of PCBs and eight other organochlorine chemicals from the NHL patients (cases) were compared with the levels in a control group of 147 persons selected from the study group who had not developed cancer. Cases and controls were matched by race, age, sex, year of birth, and date of blood collection.

The researchers found that persons who had blood levels of PCBs in the highest 25 percent were about four-and-a-half times more likely to have NHL compared with those who had PCB levels in the lowest 25 percent.

The primary aim of the study was to investigate whether increased risk for NHL was associated with exposure to DDT, an organochlorine pesticide that has been linked to risk for the cancer in some studies. The researchers did not find that exposure to DDT, as measured by blood levels of the compound and its metabolites in the study participants, was associated with increased risk for NHL. In addition, none of the other organochlorines, with the exception of PCBs, were associated with increased risk for the cancer.

NCI scientists are now collaborating with investigators from the CDC and other research institutions to conduct analyses in other populations to see if the findings can be confirmed.

*The article is titled "A nested case-control study of NHL and serum organochlorine residues." Authors are Rothman N, Cantor KP, Blair A, Bush D, Brock J, Helzlsouer K, Zahm SH, Needham LL, Pearson G, Hoover RN, Comstock GC, Strickland PT. The Lancet, Vol. 350: 240-244. July 26, 1997

Cancer Information from the Office of Cancer Communications National Cancer Institute news releases are available via the Internet through the World Wide Web (http://rex.nci.nih.gov). Click on Mass Media.

Cancer Information Service The Cancer Information Service (CIS), a national information and education network, is a free public service of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Nation's primary agency for cancer research. The CIS meets the information needs of patients, the public, and health professionals. Specially trained staff provide the latest scientific information in understandable language. CIS staff answer questions in English and Spanish and distribute NCI materials. Toll-free phone number: 18004CANCER (18004226237) TTY: 18003328615

CancerFax ? For NCI information by fax, dial (301) 402-5874 from the telephone on a fax machine and listen to recorded instructions.

CancerNet TM For NCI information by computer: CancerNet Mail Service (via E-mail): To obtain a contents list, send E-mail to cancernet@icicc.nci.nih.gov with the word "help" in the body of the message. Internet: Information is also accessible via the Internet through the World Wide Web at (http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov) and Gopher (gopher://gopher.nih.gov) servers.