Environmental Exposures And Risk For Cancer and Chronic Diseases In Adults

National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences

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Abstract

We are linking data from the population-based cancer registry with the Swedish Family Register to compare risk of breast, leukemia and other cancer in the first degree relatives of leukemia patients. We are also evaluating the risk of leukemia among relatives of patients with breast cancer. The analysis is based on more than 18,000 leukemia probands and 32,000 female first degree relatives, among whom 766 have had breast cancer. For the counter analysis of leukemia risk in families with breast cancer, there are more than 114,000 probands with breast cancer and 757 relatives who were diagnosed with leukemia. Our analysis of leukemia risk associated with family history of leukemia is based on 22,500 probands and 169 relatives with leukemia. Preliminary results suggest familial component to acute lymphocytic leukemia in adults and children. The anaysis of data from the North Carolina kidney disease study focused the potential risk associated with occupational silica exposure. Our study included 548 cases with renal disfunction confirmed by hospital chart review and 514 matched population controls. We categorized exposure likelihood and exposure intesity based on industrial hygiene review of occupational history. Silica appears associated with increased risk for kidney disease;a manuscript has been drafted. We are measuring arsenic levels in historical urine samples from 300 Pima Indians participating a in long term follow-up study conducted by NIDDK. Half remained free of diabetes at follow-up exam at least 10 years after initial visit and half had developed diabetes. We are also using the Pima cohort study to assess risk of diabetes and diabetic nephropathy in serum samples from 100 individuals who developed diabetes without nephropathy, 100 who developed diabetic nephropathy, and 100 who remained diabetes free after at least 10 years of follow-up. Analysis of a data from a previous case-control study of ALS and from linked databases in Sweden, we demostrated associations between family structure and ALS risk, family history of ALS and risk for ALS, and several occupational exposures and risk. We also reported an inverse association between lead levels and ALS survival.