Cancer Connection

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer, has been on the rise over the past few decades as industrial production in the United States has expanded. Benzene is one chemical carcinogen linked to blood cancers. Catherine Bulka, from Emory University (Georgia, USA), and colleagues reviewed publicly available data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the US Census Bureau to analyze the geographic patterns of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases in the state of Georgia between 1999 and 2008.  Specifically, the researchers examined the associations between new cases of lymphoma and the locations of facilities—such as petroleum refineries and manufacturing plants—that released benzene into the surrounding air or water. Finding that that the metro-Atlanta region, Augusta, and Savannah had the highest incidences of non-Hodgkin lymphoma even when controlling for confounding factors, the team revealed that the incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma was significantly greater than expected surrounding benzene release sites located in the metro-Atlanta area and surrounding one benzene release site in Savannah. Specifically, for every mile the average distance to benzene release sites increased, there was a 0.31% decrease in the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  The study authors warn that: “[Non-Hodgkin lymphoma] incidence was significantly higher in census tracts that were closer, on average, to benzene release sites.”