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【medical-news】香料燃烧产物增加患呼吸道癌瘤风
August 29, 2008 — Long-term exposure to burning incense is associated with an increased risk for squamous cell carcinoma of the respiratory tract, according to a study published online August 25 in Cancer. The association between the risk for cancer and incense use was found to be dose-dependent, with the highest risk seen among long-term users.
This is the first prospective study to address the use of incense and cancer risk, write lead author Jeppe T. Friborg, MD, PhD, from Statens Serum Institut, in Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues. "The results indicate an association between long-term incense use and the development of squamous cell carcinomas of the respiratory tract."
Compared with people who did not use incense, daily users with more than 40 years of incense exposure had a statistically significant 70% increase in the risk for a respiratory tract malignancy.
Incense burning is very common in many parts of Asia and India, where it is widely used in temples as part of religious ceremonies and rituals. In addition, it is an integral part of daily life in Southeast Asia; approximately half of the population in this region burns incense on a daily basis. Regular exposure to incense smoke is not limited to Asian populations; it has also been reported in the United States and other Western nations.
The incense used in Asian countries is generally a combination of fragrant plants, such as sandalwood and jasmine, and essential oils. This forms a combustible mixture that releases fragrant smoke when burned, and is a powerful producer of particulate matter. A large number of potential carcinogens can be released in incense smoke, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons, carbonyls, and benzene.
Previous studies, the researchers note, have investigated the association between lung cancer and incense exposure, but results have been inconsistent. Other studies have reported a link between incense use and childhood leukemia and brain tumors.
In this prospective cohort study, Dr. Friborg and colleagues examined the relation between incense use and the risk for respiratory tract carcinomas. A total of 61,320 Chinese men and women were recruited in Singapore between 1993 and 1998 and followed until the end of 2005.
All study participants were cancer-free at baseline, and ranged in age from 45 to 74 years. A comprehensive interview about living conditions and dietary and lifestyle factors was completed at the beginning of the study period, and the cohort was linked to population-based registries. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the relative risk for cancers associated with incense use.
At the end of the study period, a total of 1146 cases of histologically verified carcinomas of the respiratory tract were reported among the cohort: 10 nasal/sinus, 20 tongue, 29 mouth, 12 other oropharynx, 14 hypopharynx, 1 unspecified pharyngeal, 175 nasopharyngeal, 64 laryngeal, and 821 lung. Nasopharyngeal cancers were primarily undifferentiated carcinomas (89%), whereas nonnasopharyngeal upper respiratory tract carcinomas were predominantly squamous cell (88%).
Adenocarcinomas were more common in lung cancer (42% of cases) than squamous-cell carcinomas (24% of patients).
Approximately three quarters of the cohort burned incense during the study period (77.5% of men and 76.5% of women); among these current users, 92.7% used it daily and 83.9% had used it for more than 40 years.
The researchers found that incense burning was not associated with an increased risk for either lung cancer or nasopharyngeal cancers. However, it was associated with a greater risk for carcinoma of the upper respiratory tract other than the nasopharynx, and the association between incense use and cancer risk was found to be dose-dependent. When compared with nonusers, people who had burned incense for more than 40 years had a statistically significant 70% increased risk for nonnasopharyngeal upper respiratory tract cancer.
The intensity of incense use also increased risk. When used on a daily basis or continuously throughout the day, the risk for cancer more than doubled.
The results of this study are consistent with a large number of studies that have identified carcinogens in incense smoke, write the researchers. "Given the widespread and sometimes involuntary exposure to smoke from burning incense, these findings carry significant public health implications," they note. "In addition to initiatives to reduce incense-smoke exposure, future studies should be undertaken to identify the least harmful types of incense."
The study was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute.
Cancer. Published online before print August 25, 2008. Incense Burning Increases Risk for Respiratory Tract Cancer
燃烧熏香增加呼吸道肿瘤的风险
August 29, 2008 — Long-term exposure to burning incense is associated with an increased risk for squamous cell carcinoma of the respiratory tract, according to a study published online August 25 in Cancer. The association between the risk for cancer and incense use was found to be dose-dependent, with the highest risk seen among long-term users.
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作者:admin@医学,生命科学 2011-03-04 17:12
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