Issue:
Workplace exposures to diesel and gasoline emissions from engine exhausts are known to affect human health, but their effects on cancer remain poorly understood. Exposure to diesel and gasoline exhaust is common among Ontario workers, and it has been estimated that more than 230,000 Ontario workers are exposed to some degree. Examples of jobs where workers are exposed to diesel and/or gasoline exhausts include railroad workers, taxi drivers, truckers, firefighters, and parking garage attendants. The study will examine whether these exposures increase the risk of developing colorectal and bladder cancer.
Objectives:
The study will compare workplace exposures in a sample of Canadian men who developed these cancers with a group of men who are cancer free. All jobs held over the lifetime of each participant will be reviewed by a workplace expert who will describe each job according to the level and duration of exposure. Questionnaire information provided by these participants will allow the Proponent to take into account the effects that other factors may have had on the development of these types of cancers. These factors include age, cigarette smoking, diet, physical activity, and other workplace exposures. The objectives of this study are:
1. To evaluate the relationship between occupational exposure to diesel engine emissions and the risk of bladder and colorectal cancer in men;
2. To evaluate the relationship between occupational exposure to gasoline engine emissions and the risk of bladder and colorectal cancer in men.
Anticipated Results:
The primary research outcome to be derived from this research will be the publication of a peer-reviewed scientific manuscript. Additional efforts to disseminate the findings from this research in an effort to guide policy and regulatory advisory groups will be made. This includes presentations of the research to (1) the Fuels and Exposure Assessment Division of Health Canada, (2) the Ontario Occupational Cancer Research Centre, as well as to our peers at a scientific conference targeted for occupational health professionals.
Investigators:
Shelley A. Harris (Cancer Care Ontario), Paul J. Villeneuve (University of Toronto), Kenneth C. Johnson (Public Health Agency of Canada), Marie-lise Parent (Institut national de la recherché scientifique)
