Further dose-response association exploration could enhance the causal inference between benzene exposure and risk of nervous system cancers.

Abstract

Occupational benzene exposure is a known carcinogen; however, the dose-response relationship with cancers of the nervous system, particularly glioma, requires clarification. Based on the systematic review by Mangiaterra et al., this paper conducted a secondary analysis of the results and utilized original supplementary data to assess risk ratios (RRs) for high, medium, and low benzene exposure levels. This aimed to evaluate both linear and non-linear dose-response relationships. We observed a significantly increased risk for nervous system cancers only at high exposure levels. Risks associated with moderate and low exposure levels showed no significant increase. Both dose-response curves indicated no clear upward trend with increasing exposure. Limitations include the frequent lack of confounder adjustment in source estimates, potential publication bias, and limited original data, all of which impact the heterogeneity and accuracy of the findings. While high-concentration benzene exposure may pose a risk for nervous system cancers and potentially exhibit dose-dependency, these limitations constrain the robustness of the dose-response assessment. Future research should validate this association using high-quality, multi-level exposure data with adequate confounder adjustment. Such studies are crucial to provide a scientific basis for occupational health protection measures.