Response to Lange et al.

✍ Scribed by Karen J. Wernli; Roberta M. Ray; David B. Thomas; Gao Dao Li; Harvey Checkoway

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 30 KB
• Volume: 45
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0271-3586
• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.10358

✦ Synopsis

We thank Lange et al. [2004] for their insights into the possibly protective effect of endotoxin exposure on lung cancer risk. We are currently conducting more in-depth analyzes of data from our textile worker cohort study [Wernli et al., 2003], and will address specific associations between cotton dust and other agents in relation to various cancers. We are especially interested in investigating the association between endotoxin and lung cancer. Due to the low prevalence (<3%) of cigarette smoking among women in our cohort [Wernli et al., 2003] and in the general Chinese female population (4.2%) [WHO, 2002], smoking is not likely to be responsible for most cases of lung cancer. Thus, we agree that additional hypotheses should be explored.