Occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) markedly increases the risk of developing laryngeal cancer, according to new research. A study reported in the 1 September 2005 issue of the International Journal of Cancer examined data from 257 laryngeal cancer patients and 769 population controls to examine the possible role of occupational risk factors in the development of laryngeal cancer. Workers in road construction, painters, unskilled workers, paper mill workers, workers in the chemical industry, carpenters and bricklayers faced significantly higher risks of laryngeal cancer, the authors report. The paper concluded PAH exposure dramatically increased the risk of laryngeal cancer, up by 5.2 times.

Heiko Becher and others. Occupation, exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and laryngeal cancer risk, International Journal of Cancer, volume 116, issue 3, pages 451-457, September 2005.