2,571
Views
43
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Review Article

Occupational exposure to beryllium and cancer risk: A review of the epidemiologic evidence

, &
Pages 107-118 | Received 13 Jul 2011, Accepted 10 Oct 2011, Published online: 25 Jan 2012

References

  • Beryllium Industry Scientific Advisory Committee. (1997). Is beryllium carcinogenic in humans? J Occup Environ Med 39:205–208.
  • Boffetta P, Sali D, Kolstad H, Coggon D, Olsen J, Andersen A, Spence A, Pesatori AC, Lynge E, Frentzel-Beyme R, Chang-Claude J, Lundberg I, Biocca M, Gennaro V, Teppo L, Partanen T, Welp E, Saracci R, Kogevinas M. (1998). Mortality of short-term workers in two international cohorts. J Occup Environ Med 40:1120–1126.
  • Boffetta P, McLaughlin JK, La Vecchia C, Tarone RE, Lipworth L, Blot WJ. (2008). False-positive results in cancer epidemiology: A plea for epistemological modesty. J Natl Cancer Inst 100:988–995.
  • Brenner DR, McLaughlin JR, Hung RJ. (2011). Previous lung diseases and lung cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 6:e17479.
  • Brown SC, Schonbeck MF, McClure D, Barón AE, Navidi WC, Byers T, Ruttenber AJ. (2004). Lung cancer and internal lung doses among plutonium workers at the Rocky Flats Plant: A case-control study. Am J Epidemiol 160:163–172.
  • Carpenter AV, Flanders WD, Frome EL, Tankersley WG, Fry SA. (1988). Chemical exposures and central nervous system cancers: A case-control study among workers at two nuclear facilities. Am J Ind Med 13:351–362.
  • Couch JR, Petersen M, Rice C, Schubauer-Berigan MK. (2011). Development of retrospective quantitative and qualitative job-exposure matrices for exposures at a beryllium processing facility. Occup Environ Med 68:361–365.
  • Deubner DC, Lockey JL, Kotin P, Powers MB, Miller F, Rogers AE, Trichopoulos D. (2001). Re: Lung cancer case-control study of beryllium workers. Sanderson WT, Ward EM, Steenland K, Petersen MR. Am. J. Ind. Med. 2001. 39:133–144. Am J Ind Med 40:284–288.
  • Deubner DC, Roth HD, Levy PS. (2007). Empirical evaluation of complex epidemiologic study designs: Workplace exposure and cancer. J Occup Environ Med 49:953–959.
  • Deubner DC, Roth HD. (2009). Rejoinder: Progress in understanding the relationship between beryllium exposure and lung cancer. Epidemiology 20:341–343.
  • Eisenbud M. (1982). Origins of the standards for control of beryllium disease (1947-1949). Environ Res 27:79–88.
  • Eisenbud M, Lisson J. (1983). Epidemiological aspects of beryllium-induced nonmalignant lung disease: A 30-year update. J Occup Med 25:196–202.
  • Engels EA. (2008). Inflammation in the development of lung cancer: Epidemiological evidence. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 8:605–615.
  • Gandini S, Botteri E, Iodice S, Boniol M, Lowenfels AB, Maisonneuve P, Boyle P. (2008). Tobacco smoking and cancer: A meta-analysis. Int J Cancer 122:155–164.
  • Haenszel W, Loveland DB, Sirken MG. (1962). Lung-cancer mortality as related to residence and smoking histories. I. White males. J Natl Cancer Inst 28:947–1001.
  • Hammond EC. (1966). Smoking in relation to the death rates of one million men and women. In: Haenszel W. (ed.). Epidemiological Study of Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases. Washington, DC, US Government Printing Office, pp. 127–204.
  • Hardy HL, Tabershaw IR. (1946). Delayed chemical pneumonitis occurring in workers exposed to beryllium compounds. J Ind Hyg Toxicol 28:197–211.
  • Hardy HL, Rabe EW, Lorch S. (1967). United States, Beryllium Case Registry (1952-1966). Review of its methods and utility. J Occup Med 9:271–276.
  • Hasan FM, Kazemi H. (1974). Chronic beryllium disease: A continuing epidemiologic hazard. Chest 65:289–293.
  • Hein MJ, Deddens JA, Schubauer-Berigan MK. (2009). Bias from matching on age at death or censor in nested case-control studies. Epidemiology 20:330–338.
  • Henneberger PK, Goe SK, Miller WE, Doney B, Groce DW. (2004). Industries in the United States with airborne beryllium exposure and estimates of the number of current workers potentially exposed. J Occup Environ Hyg 1:648–659.
  • Hill AB. (1965). The environment and disease: Association or causation? Proc R Soc Med 58:295–300.
  • Hinds MW, Kolonel LN, Lee J. (1985). Application of a job-exposure matrix to a case-control study of lung cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 75:193–197.
  • Hollins DM, McKinley MA, Williams C, Wiman A, Fillos D, Chapman PS, Madl AK. (2009). Beryllium and lung cancer: A weight of evidence evaluation of the toxicological and epidemiological literature. Crit Rev Toxicol 39 Suppl 1:1–32.
  • Infante PF, Wagoner JK, Sprince NL. (1980). Mortality patterns from lung cancer and nonneoplastic respiratory disease among white males in the beryllium case registry. Environ Res 21:35–43.
  • International Agency for Research on Cancer. Beryllium. (1993). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Vol. 58. Beryllium, Cadmium, Mercury, and Exposures in the Glass Manufacturing Industry. Lyon, IARC pp. 41–117.
  • International Agency for Research on Cancer. (2004). Tobacco smoke. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Vol. 83, Tobacco Smoke and Involuntary Smoking. Lyon, IARC, pp. 51–1187.
  • Kahn HA. (1966). The Dorn study of smoking and mortality among U.S. veterans: Report on eight and one-half years of observation. Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 19:1–125.
  • Kent MS, Robins TG, Madl AK. (2001). Is total mass or mass of alveolar-deposited airborne particles of beryllium a better predictor of the prevalence of disease? A preliminary study of a beryllium processing facility. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 16:539–558.
  • Kreiss K, Mroz MM, Zhen B, Wiedemann H, Barna B. (1997). Risks of beryllium disease related to work processes at a metal, alloy, and oxide production plant. Occup Environ Med 54:605–612.
  • Kreiss K, Day GA, Schuler CR. (2007). Beryllium: A modern industrial hazard. Annu Rev Public Health 28:259–277.
  • Kriebel D, Sprince NL, Eisen EA, Greaves IA. (1988). Pulmonary function in beryllium workers: Assessment of exposure. Br J Ind Med 45:83–92.
  • Langholz B, Richardson D. (2009). Are nested case-control studies biased? Epidemiology 20:321–329.
  • Le Jeune I, Gribbin J, West J, Smith C, Cullinan P, Hubbard R. (2007). The incidence of cancer in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis in the UK. Respir Med 101:2534–2540.
  • Levy PS, Roth HD, Hwang PM, Powers TE. (2002). Beryllium and lung cancer: A reanalysis of a NIOSH cohort mortality study. Inhal Toxicol 14:1003–1015.
  • Levy PS, Roth HD, Deubner DC. (2007). Exposure to beryllium and occurrence of lung cancer: A reexamination of findings from a nested case-control study. J Occup Environ Med 49:96–101.
  • Levy PS, Roth HD, Deubner DC. (2009). Exposure to beryllium and occurrence of lung cancer: Findings from a cox proportional hazards analysis of data from a retrospective cohort mortality study. J Occup Environ Med 51:480–486.
  • Machle W, Beyer E, Gregorious F. (1948). Berylliosis; acute pneumonitis and pulmonary granulomatosis of beryllium workers. Occup Med (Chic Ill) 5:671–683.
  • MacMahon B. (1994). The epidemiological evidence on the carcinogenicity of beryllium in humans. J Occup Med 36:15–24; discussion 25.
  • Maier LA, Martyny JW, Liang J, Rossman MD. (2008). Recent chronic beryllium disease in residents surrounding a beryllium facility. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 177:1012–1017.
  • Mancuso TF, el-Attar AA. (1969). Epidemiological study of the beryllium industry. Cohort methodology and mortality studies. J Occup Med 11:422–434.
  • Mancuso TF. (1970). Relation of duration of employment and prior respiratory illness to respiratory cancer among beryllium workers. Environ Res 3:251–275.
  • Mancuso TF. (1979). Occupational lung cancer among beryllium workers. In Lemen R, Dement J. (eds.). Dusts and Disease. Park Forest, IL, Pathotox Publishers, pp. 463–471.
  • Mancuso TF. (1980). Mortality study of beryllium industry workers’ occupational lung cancer. Environ Res 21:48–55.
  • National Center for Health Statistics. (1970). Changes in Cigarette Smoking Habits between 1955 and 1966. Rockville, MD, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, pp. 1–33.
  • National Research Council, Committee on Toxicology. (2007). Committee on Beryllium Alloy Exposures. Health Effects of Beryllium Exposure: A Literature Review. Washington, DC, National Academy Press, http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12007.html.
  • Rooney C, Beral V, Maconochie N, Fraser P, Davies G. (1993). Case-control study of prostatic cancer in employees of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. BMJ 307:1391–1397.
  • Rothman KJ, Mosquin PL. (2011). Confounding after risk-set sampling in the beryllium study of Sanderson et al. Ann Epidemiol 21:773–779.
  • Sanderson WT. (2001a) Re: Response to criticisms of “Lung Cancer Case-Control Study of Beryllium Workers.” Am J Ind Med 40:286–288.
  • Sanderson WT, Ward EM, Steenland K, Petersen MR. (2001b). Lung cancer case-control study of beryllium workers. Am J Ind Med 39:133–144.
  • Sanderson WT, Petersen MR, Ward EM. (2001c). Estimating historical exposures of workers in a beryllium manufacturing plant. Am J Ind Med 39:145–157.
  • Saracci R. (1985). Beryllium: Epidemiological evidence. In Wald NJ, Doll R. (eds.). Interpretation of Negative Epidemiological Evidence for Carcinogenicity. (IARC Scientific Publications No. 65), Lyon, IARC, pp. 203–219.
  • Schubauer-Berigan MK, Deddens JA, Petersen MR. (2007). Re: Exposure to beryllium and occurrence of lung cancer: A reexamination of findings from a nested case-control study. J Occup Environ Med 49:708–9; author reply 709.
  • Schubauer-Berigan MK, Deddens JA, Steenland K, Sanderson WT, Petersen MR. (2008). Adjustment for temporal confounders in a reanalysis of a case-control study of beryllium and lung cancer. Occup Environ Med 65:379–383.
  • Schubauer-Berigan MK, Couch JR, Petersen MR, Carreón T, Jin Y, Deddens JA. (2011a). Cohort mortality study of workers at seven beryllium processing plants: Update and associations with cumulative and maximum exposure. Occup Environ Med 68:345–353.
  • Schubauer-Berigan MK, Deddens JA, Couch JR, Petersen MR. (2011b). Risk of lung cancer associated with quantitative beryllium exposure metrics within an occupational cohort. Occup Environ Med 68:354–360.
  • Schuler CR, Kent MS, Deubner DC, Berakis MT, McCawley M, Henneberger PK, Rossman MD, Kreiss K. (2005). Process-related risk of beryllium sensitization and disease in a copper-beryllium alloy facility. Am J Ind Med 47:195–205.
  • Siemiatycki J. (1991). Risk Factors for Cancer in the Workplace. Boca Raton, FL, CRC Press.
  • Steenland K, Ward E. (1991). Lung cancer incidence among patients with beryllium disease: A cohort mortality study. J Natl Cancer Inst 83:1380–1385.
  • Stellman SD, Boffetta P, Garfinkel L. (1988). Smoking habits of 800,000 American men and women in relation to their occupations. Am J Ind Med 13:43–58.
  • Stoeckle JD, Hardy HL, Weber AL. (1969). Chronic beryllium disease. Long-term follow-up of sixty cases and selective review of the literature. Am J Med 46:545–561.
  • US Department of Health and Human Service. (2011). National Toxicology Program. Report on Carcinogens. 12th Edition. Research Triangle Park, NC, US Department of Health and Human Service.
  • US Environmental Protection Agency. (1987). Health Assessment Document for Beryllium (EPA Report No. 60/8-84-026F). Research Triangle Park, NC, Office of Research and Development.
  • US Environmental Protection Agency. (1998a). Beryllium and Compounds (CASRN 7440-41-7). Washington, DC, Integrated Risk Information System, US Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0012.htm.
  • US Environmental Protection Agency. (1998b). Toxicological Review of Beryllium and Compounds (CAS No. 7440-41-7) in Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). EPA/635/R-98/008. Washington, DC, US Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.epa.gov/iris/toxreviews/0012-tr.pdf.
  • VanOrdstrand HS, Hughes R. (1945). Beryllium poisoning. J Am Med Assoc 129:1084–1090.
  • Wagoner JK, Infante PF, Bayliss DL. (1980). Beryllium: An etiologic agent in the induction of lung cancer, nonneoplastic respiratory disease, and heart disease among industrially exposed workers. Environ Res 21:15–34.
  • Ward E, Okun A, Ruder A, Fingerhut M, Steenland K. (1992). A mortality study of workers at seven beryllium processing plants. Am J Ind Med 22:885–904.
  • Williams WJ. (1996). United Kingdom Beryllium Registry: Mortality and autopsy study. Environ Health Perspect 104 Suppl 5:949–951.
  • Wing S, Shy CM, Wood JL, Wolf S, Cragle DL, Tankersley W, Frome EL. (1993). Job factors, radiation and cancer mortality at Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Follow-up through 1984. Am J Ind Med 23:265–279.