Outdoor air pollution and risk of incident adult haematologic cancer subtypes in a large US prospective cohort

Diver, W. Ryan; Teras, Lauren R.; Deubler, Emily L.; Turner, Michelle C.

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41416-024-02718-3

Outdoor air pollution and risk of incident adult haematologic cancer subtypes in a large US prospective cohort

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Diver WR, Teras LR, Deubler EL, Turner MC. Outdoor air pollution and risk of incident adult haematologic cancer subtypes in a large US prospective cohort. Br J Cancer. 2024 Jul;131(1):149-58. DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02718-3

Abstract

Background: Outdoor air pollution and particulate matter (PM) are classified as Group 1 human carcinogens for lung cancer. Pollutant associations with haematologic cancers are suggestive, but these cancers are aetiologically heterogeneous and sub-type examinations are lacking. Methods: The American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort was used to examine associations of outdoor air pollutants with adult haematologic cancers. Census block group level annual predictions of particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10, PM10-2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO) were assigned with residential addresses. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) between time-varying pollutants and haematologic subtypes were estimated. Results: Among 108,002 participants, 2659 incident haematologic cancers were identified from 1992-2017. Higher PM10-2.5 concentrations were associated with mantle cell lymphoma (HR per 4.1 μg/m3 = 1.43, 95% CI 1.08-1.90). NO2 was associated with Hodgkin lymphoma (HR per 7.2 ppb = 1.39; 95% CI 1.01-1.92) and marginal zone lymphoma (HR per 7.2 ppb = 1.30; 95% CI 1.01-1.67). CO was associated with marginal zone (HR per 0.21 ppm = 1.30; 95% CI 1.04-1.62) and T-cell (HR per 0.21 ppm = 1.27; 95% CI 1.00-1.61) lymphomas. Conclusions: The role of air pollutants on haematologic cancers may have been underestimated previously because of sub-type heterogeneity.