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PILOT STUDY OF AMBIENT AIR POLLUTION AND SURVIVAL FROM CANCER
Citation:
Wilkinson, G., P. Reese, AND R. Priore. PILOT STUDY OF AMBIENT AIR POLLUTION AND SURVIVAL FROM CANCER. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/1-80/009 (NTIS PB80169220).
Description:
The study was concerned with investigating the potential influence exerted by ambient concentrations of particulate and sulfur dioxide air pollutants upon the length of survival for diagnosed cancer patients. Monitoring data from the National Aerometric Data Bank for particulates and sulfur dioxide were examined in conjunction with survival data from the Lake Area Regional Tumor Service Registry. Length of survival for respiratory cancer patients was found to be inversely related to maximum particulate levels. Survival times for patients who resided in areas where maximum particulate levels exceeded 240 micrograms/cu m were significantly shorter than for similar patients who resided in areas with lower particulate levels. Colorectal cancer patients demonstrated a similar trend that was not statistically significant. No association was found between survival of leukemia patients and particulate or SO2 levels, nor was SO2 related to survival of respiratory tract or colorectal cancer patients. These findings suggest that highly polluted air in residential areas may have a deleterious effect on the survival time of patients with certain types of neoplastic disease. Additional research is called for of the relationship between cancer survival and exposure to ambient air pollution, especially particulates.