Lung Cancer Risk in Trucking Industry Workers Exposed to Vehicle Exhaust

Sample size: 31135 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Eric Garshick, Francine Laden, Jaime E. Hart, Bernard Rosner, Mary E. Davis, Ellen A. Eisen, Thomas J. Smith

Primary Institution: Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Section, VA Boston Healthcare System

Is there an association between lung cancer mortality and vehicle exhaust exposure in trucking industry workers?

Trucking industry workers with regular exposure to vehicle exhaust have an elevated risk of lung cancer that increases with years of work.

Workers with jobs associated with regular exposure to vehicle exhaust had elevated lung cancer hazard ratios.
Mortality risk increased linearly with years of employment.
Smoking behavior did not explain variations in lung cancer risk.

Truck drivers who breathe in exhaust from vehicles are more likely to get lung cancer, especially if they have been driving for a long time.

The study used a retrospective cohort design, analyzing work records and lung cancer mortality data from 31,135 male trucking industry workers.

There may be confounding factors related to smoking behavior and other unmeasured risk factors.

The study lacked personal information on potential risk factors for lung cancer and job history before joining the companies.

Participants were predominantly Caucasian men, aged 40 and older, with an average of nearly 22 years of work in the trucking industry.

95% CI, 1.16–1.83

p<0.05

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