Dioxin--an analysis of the major human studies: comparison with animal-based cancer risks

Abstract

Several major epidemiological studies have reported significant mortality rates (SMRs) for both rare cancers (soft tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's, lymphoma, liver) and the more common cancers (lung, colon, etc), all allegedly caused by TCDD. In this paper, we use the potency of TCDD in animals to establish a plausible worst case cancer risk and ask whether its likely that TCDD is responsible for the epidemiological findings assuming the animal carcinogenic potency is applicable to the conditions of human exposure. Two new features of the technique are the use of measured TCDD blood levels in both animals and humans for dose scale-up and the calculation of an integrated life-time exposure for the exposed workers using measured blood levels. On the basis of the stated assumptions it appears unlikely that any of the major epidemiological studies, with the possible exception of the NIOSH study have adequate power to detect the common cancers potentially caused by TCDD.