Air Pollution from Traffic and Cancer Risk in Denmark
Author Information
Author(s): Ole Raaschou-Nielsen, Zorana Andersen, Martin Hvidberg, Steen S Jensen, Matthias Ketzel, Mette Sørensen, Johnni Hansen, Steffen Loft, Kim Overvad, Anne Tjønneland
Primary Institution: Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society
Hypothesis
Is air pollution from traffic associated with the risk of cancers other than lung cancer?
Conclusion
Traffic-related air pollution may increase the risks for cervical and brain cancer.
Supporting Evidence
- The study followed participants for an average of 9.6 years.
- Significant associations were found between NOx levels and cervical and brain cancer.
- The study used a validated air pollution modeling system to assess exposure.
Takeaway
Living near busy roads with lots of cars might make you more likely to get certain types of cancer, like cervical and brain cancer.
Methodology
The study followed 54,304 participants from 1993-1997 to 2006, assessing cancer incidence in relation to modeled traffic-related air pollution.
Potential Biases
Potential confounding factors such as smoking and education were adjusted for, but HPV infection data was not available.
Limitations
The study included relatively few cases of some cancer types, and results should be interpreted with caution.
Participant Demographics
Participants were aged 50-64 years, with a near-equal gender distribution and varied educational backgrounds.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI, 1.01;5.93 for cervical cancer; 95% CI, 1.25;4.19 for brain cancer
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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