Table 4

Adjusted^4-150 OR (95% CI) between oesophageal cancer and exposure to selected occupational substances, by histological subtypes, Montreal, 1979–85

Substances		Exposure level		All histological subtypes (n=99)				Squamous cell carcinoma (n=63)
Substances		Exposure level		n_exp	OR			95% CI	n_exp	OR	95% CI
Dusts:
Carbon black		Any	11	2.1	1.0 to 4.3		10	3.4	1.5 to 7.7
		Non-substantial	9	1.8	0.8 to 4.0		8	2.9	1.2 to 7.2
		Substantial	2	5.7	0.9 to 36.0		2	8.9	1.2 to 64.3
Chrysotile asbestos		Any	21	1.4	0.8 to 2.4		17	2.0	1.1 to 3.8
		Non-substantial	19	1.4	0.8 to 2.5		16	2.1	1.1 to 4.0
		Substantial	2	1.3	0.3 to 6.2		1	1.1	0.1 to 9.7
Alumina		Any	17	1.3	0.7 to 2.3		14	1.8	0.9 to 3.5
		Non-substantial	14	1.2	0.6 to 2.3		11	1.5	0.7 to 3.2
		Substantial	3	1.6	0.4 to 6.2		3	3.5	0.9 to 13.9
Abrasive dust		Any	22	1.0	0.6 to 1.6		17	1.3	0.7 to 2.3
		Non-substantial	14	1.2	0.6 to 2.3		10	1.5	0.7 to 3.2
		Substantial	8	0.7	0.3 to 1.5		7	1.0	0.4 to 2.5
Cellulose		Any	10	1.5	0.7 to 3.1		4	0.9	0.3 to 2.6
		Non-substantial	8	1.7	0.7 to 4.0		2	1.0	0.3 to 3.7
		Substantial	2	0.9	0.2 to 4.6		2	0.6	0.1 to 4.9
Wood dust	Any	19	0.8	0.4 to 1.3		16	1.0	0.5 to 1.9
Crystalline silica	Any	18	0.7	0.4 to 1.3		13	0.8	0.4 to 1.7
Liquids and vapours:
Mineral spirits		Any	17	1.1	0.6 to 2.0		16	1.9	1.0 to 3.7
		Non-substantial	8	1.6	0.7 to 3.7		7	2.6	1.0 to 6.6
		Substantial	9	0.9	0.4 to 1.9		9	1.6	0.7 to 3.6
Toluene		Any	16	1.2	0.7 to 2.2		15	2.0	1.0 to 3.9
		Non-substantial	9	1.0	0.5 to 2.2		9	1.8	0.8 to 4.1
		Substantial	7	1.5	0.6 to 3.7		6	2.4	0.9 to 6.4
Synthetic adhesives		Any	19	1.3	0.8 to 2.3		16	1.8	1.0 to 3.4
		Non-substantial	10	1.4	0.7 to 3.0		8	2.0	0.9 to 4.7
		Substantial	9	1.2	0.6 to 2.6		8	1.6	0.7 to 3.8
Other paints and varnishes^4-151		Any	18	1.5	0.8 to 2.6		16	2.3	1.2 to 4.4
		Non-substantial	12	2.0	1.0 to 4.1		10	2.8	1.2 to 6.3
		Substantial	6	1.0	0.4 to 2.4		6	1.8	0.7 to 4.7
Sulphuric acid		Any	15	2.2	1.2 to 4.3		10	2.8	1.2 to 6.1
		Non-substantial	12	2.0	1.0 to 4.0		9	2.2	1.2 to 6.3
		Substantial	3	4.1	1.0 to 17.2		1	3.1	0.3 to 28.1
Solvents		Any	39	1.1	0.7 to 1.7		30	1.4	0.8 to 2.5
		Non-substantial	16	1.0	0.5 to 1.9		12	1.3	0.6 to 2.6
		Substantial	23	1.1	0.6 to 1.9		18	1.6	0.8 to 3.0
Lube oils and greases	Any	25	0.7	0.4 to 1.2		18	0.9	0.5 to 1.6
Gases and fumes:
Metal oxide fumes		Any	17	1.1	0.6 to 2.0		13	1.5	0.8 to 3.0
		Non-substantial	10	1.5	0.8 to 2.9		7	1.8	0.8 to 4.1
		Substantial	7	0.6	0.2 to 1.8		6	1.1	0.4 to 3.4
Nitrogen oxides	Any	21	0.9	0.6 to 1.6		16	1.2	0.7 to 2.4
Gasoline engine emissions	Any	41	0.9	0.6 to 1.5		24	0.9	0.5 to 1.5
Carbon monoxide	Any	45	0.7	0.4 to 1.1		25	0.6	0.3 to 1.0
Metals:
Aluminium compounds		Any	19	1.1	0.6 to 1.9		16	1.6	0.8 to 3.0
		Non-substantial	15	1.1	0.6 to 2.1		12	1.5	0.7 to 3.0
		Substantial	4	1.1	0.4 to 3.2		4	2.2	0.7 to 6.8
Iron compounds		Any	25	1.0	0.6 to 1.7		21	1.7	0.9 to 3.0
		Non-substantial	15	1.4	0.7 to 2.6		13	2.3	1.2 to 4.8
		Substantial	10	0.8	0.4 to 1.5		8	1.1	0.5 to 2.6
Lead compounds	Any	41	0.7	0.4 to 1.1		25	0.7	0.4 to 1.3
Chromium VI compounds	Any	6	0.6	0.2 to 1.4		6	1.0	0.4 to 2.6
Metallic dust		Any	27	1.0	0.6 to 1.7		20	1.3	0.7 to 2.3
		Non-substantial	17	1.3	0.7 to 2.3		13	1.7	0.8 to 3.3
		Substantial	10	0.8	0.4 to 1.6		7	0.9	0.4 to 2.2
Mild steel dust		Any	18	1.1	0.6 to 2.0		15	1.7	0.9 to 3.2
		Non-substantial	11	1.3	0.7 to 2.7		10	2.2	1.0 to 4.8
		Substantial	7	0.9	0.4 to 2.0		5	1.1	0.4 to 3.1
Aromatic hydrocarbons:
PAHs from any source	Any	64	0.9	0.5 to 1.5		40	0.9	0.5 to 1.7
Benzo(a)pyrene		Any	24	1.1	0.7 to 1.9		18	1.6	0.8 to 3.0
		Non-substantial	19	1.0	0.5 to 1.7		16	1.6	0.8 to 3.0
		Substantial	5	2.3	0.8 to 6.5		2	1.7	0.4 to 8.2
PAHs from coal		Any	10	1.2	0.6 to 2.5		5	0.9	0.3 to 2.5
		Non-substantial	4	0.7	0.2 to 2.1		2	0.5	0.1 to 2.4
		Substantial	6	2.0	0.8 to 5.3		3	1.7	0.5 to 6.2
PAHs from petroleum	Any	64	1.0	0.6 to 1.6		41	1.0	0.6 to 1.9
PAHs from other sources	Any	16	0.7	0.4 to 1.2		11	0.7	0.4 to 1.5
Mononuclear aromatic hydrocarbons	Any	29	0.8	0.5 to 1.3		23	1.2	0.7 to 2.0
Other:
Aliphatic aldehydes		Any	21	1.3	0.8 to 2.4		13	1.2	0.6 to 2.5
		Non-substantial	18	1.4	0.7 to 2.5		10	1.1	0.5 to 2.3
		Substantial	3	1.3	0.3 to 4.6		3	2.3	0.6 to 9.6
Formaldehyde	Any	13	0.9	0.5 to 1.8		10	1.2	0.5 to 2.5
Alkanes (C₅ to C₁₇)		Any	33	0.9	0.6 to 1.5		25	1.3	0.7 to 2.3
		Non-substantial	15	1.2	0.7 to 2.2		14	1.5	0.7 to 3.1
		Substantial	18	0.7	0.4 to 1.3		11	1.1	0.5 to 2.3
Alkanes (C₁₈₊)	Any	29	0.8	0.5 to 1.2		21	1.0	0.6 to 1.8
Cleaning agents	Any	17	1.0	0.6 to 1.8		10	0.8	0.4 to 1.8

↵4-150 Adjusted for age, respondent status, birthplace, educational level, beer consumption, spirits consumption, β-carotene index, cigarette-years, smoking patterns.
↵4-151 This group comprises paints used on surfaces other than metal and varnishes used on surfaces other than wood.
PAHs=polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; n_exp=number of exposed cases.