Evaluation of Occupational Risk Factors in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Hodgkin's Disease in Iranian Men

Abstract

Background: Lymphoma is a malignancy, arises from lymphoid tissue. Nowadays, it is the ninth most common cancer in Iran. The risk factors of malignant lymphomas have not well determined, but since 20 years ago till now, too many epidemiological researches have been concerning either Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) or Hodgkin's Disease (HD). It is a common usual hypothesis that idiosyncratic reaction to common physical, chemical, and viral agents could lead to lymphoma without obvious immune deficiency. Some occupations has reported to cause increasing "NHL" risks, such as rubber industry, veterinaries, uranium mining, metal working, asbestos exposing, farming, textile industry, and benzene exposing. The roles of ionizing radiation, benzene and other environmental agents have not been clear, because of the lack of confirmed evidences for relation between the occupational and environmental agents with "HD".