TY - JOUR
T1 - Long-term exposure to air pollution and liver cancer incidence in six European cohorts
AU - So, Rina
AU - Mehta, Amar J
AU - Chen, Jie
AU - Liu, Shuo
AU - Strak, Maciej
AU - Wolf, Kathrin
AU - Hvidtfeldt, Ulla A.
AU - Rodopoulou, Sophia
AU - Stafoggia, Massimo
AU - Klompmaker, Jochem O
AU - Samoli, Evangelia
AU - Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole
AU - Atkinson, Richard
AU - Bauwelink, Mariska
AU - Bellander, Tom
AU - Boutron-Rualt, Marie-Christine
AU - Brandt, Jørgen
AU - Brunekreef, Bert
AU - Cesaroni, Giulia
AU - Concin, Hans
AU - Forastiere, Francesco
AU - van Gils, Carla H
AU - Gulliver, John
AU - Hertel, Ole
AU - Hoffmann, Barbara
AU - de Hoogh, Kees
AU - Janssen, Nicole A.H.
AU - Lim, Youn Hee
AU - Westendorp, Rudi
AU - Therming Jørgensen, Jeanette
AU - Katsouyanni, Klea
AU - Ketzel, Matthias
AU - Lager, Anton
AU - Lang, Alois
AU - Ljungman, Petter L S
AU - Magnusson, Patrik K E
AU - Nagel, Gabriele
AU - K. Simonsen, Mette
AU - Pershagen, Gören
AU - Peter, Raphael Simon
AU - Peters, Annette
AU - Renzi, Matteo
AU - Rizzuto, Debora
AU - Sigsgaard, Torben
AU - Vienneau, Danielle
AU - Weinmayre, Gudrun
AU - Severi, Gianluca
AU - Fecht, Daniela
AU - Tjønneland, Anne
AU - Leander, Karin
AU - Hoek, Gerard
AU - Andersen, Zorana J.
PY - 2021/12/1
Y1 - 2021/12/1
N2 - Particulate matter air pollution and diesel engine exhaust have been classified as carcinogenic for lung cancer, yet few studies have explored associations with liver cancer. We used six European adult cohorts which were recruited between 1985 and 2005, pooled within the “Effects of low-level air pollution: A study in Europe” (ELAPSE) project, and followed for the incidence of liver cancer until 2011 to 2015. The annual average exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO
2), particulate matter with diameter <2.5 μm (PM
2.5), black carbon (BC), warm-season ozone (O
3), and eight elemental components of PM
2.5 (copper, iron, zinc, sulfur, nickel, vanadium, silicon, and potassium) were estimated by European-wide hybrid land-use regression models at participants' residential addresses. We analyzed the association between air pollution and liver cancer incidence by Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for potential confounders. Of 330 064 cancer-free adults at baseline, 512 developed liver cancer during a mean follow-up of 18.1 years. We observed positive linear associations between NO
2 (hazard ratio, 95% confidence interval: 1.17, 1.02-1.35 per 10 μg/m
3), PM
2.5 (1.12, 0.92-1.36 per 5 μg/m
3), and BC (1.15, 1.00-1.33 per 0.5 10
−5/m) and liver cancer incidence. Associations with NO
2 and BC persisted in two-pollutant models with PM
2.5. Most components of PM
2.5 were associated with the risk of liver cancer, with the strongest associations for sulfur and vanadium, which were robust to adjustment for PM
2.5 or NO
2. Our study suggests that ambient air pollution may increase the risk of liver cancer, even at concentrations below current EU standards.
AB - Particulate matter air pollution and diesel engine exhaust have been classified as carcinogenic for lung cancer, yet few studies have explored associations with liver cancer. We used six European adult cohorts which were recruited between 1985 and 2005, pooled within the “Effects of low-level air pollution: A study in Europe” (ELAPSE) project, and followed for the incidence of liver cancer until 2011 to 2015. The annual average exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO
2), particulate matter with diameter <2.5 μm (PM
2.5), black carbon (BC), warm-season ozone (O
3), and eight elemental components of PM
2.5 (copper, iron, zinc, sulfur, nickel, vanadium, silicon, and potassium) were estimated by European-wide hybrid land-use regression models at participants' residential addresses. We analyzed the association between air pollution and liver cancer incidence by Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for potential confounders. Of 330 064 cancer-free adults at baseline, 512 developed liver cancer during a mean follow-up of 18.1 years. We observed positive linear associations between NO
2 (hazard ratio, 95% confidence interval: 1.17, 1.02-1.35 per 10 μg/m
3), PM
2.5 (1.12, 0.92-1.36 per 5 μg/m
3), and BC (1.15, 1.00-1.33 per 0.5 10
−5/m) and liver cancer incidence. Associations with NO
2 and BC persisted in two-pollutant models with PM
2.5. Most components of PM
2.5 were associated with the risk of liver cancer, with the strongest associations for sulfur and vanadium, which were robust to adjustment for PM
2.5 or NO
2. Our study suggests that ambient air pollution may increase the risk of liver cancer, even at concentrations below current EU standards.
KW - air pollution
KW - cohort study
KW - liver cancer incidence
KW - particulate matter
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85112352135
U2 - 10.1002/ijc.33743
DO - 10.1002/ijc.33743
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 34278567
SN - 0020-7136
VL - 149
SP - 1887
EP - 1897
JO - International Journal of Cancer
JF - International Journal of Cancer
IS - 11
ER -