Potential risk factors for haematological cancers in semiconductor workers

Semiconductor Work, Leukemia, and Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

With the development of the semiconductor industry over the past 60 years, various occupational diseases have been reported to coincide with rapid industrial growth. Among these occupational diseases, the association between semiconductor work and cancers, including leukemia, remains controversial. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis assesses the associations between semiconductor work, leukemia, and cancer risk.

METHODS

The core research databases, including PubMed, were screened for studies published until 31 July 2022. All eligible studies assessed cancer risk among workers in the semiconductor industry.

RESULTS

Nine studies were selected after a literature review. The employment period of semiconductor workers in each study was between 1965 and 2009. Semiconductor work was not significantly associated with the risk of leukemia (Relative Risk [RR], 1.02; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 0.74-1.41) or cancer (RR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.93-1.07).

CONCLUSION

In this meta-analysis, semiconductor work was not significantly associated with leukemia or cancer risk. Internal comparisons, such as non-fab workers, quality of the study, employment period, and healthy worker effect, should be considered for interpretation. Furthermore, a prospective cohort study based on overall semiconductor workers in the industry could be useful to assess occupational disease risk as a mandatory component of health assessment.

Biological Assessment of Potential Exposure to Occupational Substances in Current Semiconductor Workers with at Least 5 Years of Employment

Background: this study aimed to conduct a biological assessment of the potential exposure to carcinogenic substances in current semiconductor workers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 306 semiconductor workers. The assessed biomarkers were as follows: (benzene) urine S-phenylmercapturic, trans,trans-muconic acid, blood benzene; (trichloroethylene) urine trichloroacetic acid; (2-ethoxyethanol) 2-ethoxyacetic acid; (arsine) urine arsenic3+, arsenic5+, monomethylarsonic, dimethylarsinic acid, arsenobetaine; (shift work) 6-hydroxymelatonin; (smoking) cotinine, and (radiation). The detection rate of these materials is defined as more than the biological exposure index (BEI) or the previous reference value. Results: Some workers exposed to trans,trans-muconic acid, trichloroacetic acid, and arsenic5+ showed high BEI levels. Generally, there was no difference according to job categories, and workers were suspected to be exposed to other sources. The melatonin concentration tended to decrease when working at night, and cotinine was identified as an excellent surrogate marker for smoking. In the case of radiation exposure, there was no significant difference in the number of stable chromosome translocation in 19 semiconductor workers. Their estimated radiation exposure level was below the limit of detection (LOD) or near the LOD level. Conclusion: In this study, most carcinogens were below the BEI level, but verification through re-measurement was needed for workers who were identified to have a high BEI level. For continuous monitoring, a prospective cohort is necessary to deal with the healthy worker effect and assess additional materials.

Employee Perspectives on Onsite Health Clinics in Semiconductor Company in South Korea

(1) Background: Onsite clinics are increasingly common features of corporate health promotion programs. These clinics allow employers to offer convenient care to employees at their workplaces, which can lead to reduced healthcare expenditure and improved productivity. The objective of this study was to build basic data by qualitatively exploring employees’ experiences and perspectives on onsite clinics in a semiconductor company, as one part of the project to examine and improve the health management system of a large semiconductor company in Korea. (2) Methods: This study adopted the methodology of “Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research” (COREQ-32 checklist). Semi-structured interviews were conducted for this study over a two-month period. For data analysis, a codebook was developed and the constant comparative method was used. (3) Results: Most employees perceived convenience and a sense of belonging as the benefits of onsite clinics, while barriers to the use of onsite clinics included a lack of communication, concerns about confidentiality, and a provider-centered system. Promotion of onsite clinic services and affiliated physicians, employee-centered service provisions, and trust-building in healthcare information privacy were considered necessary to strengthen the role of onsite clinics as a primary care provider in the workplace. (4) Conclusions: The results of this qualitative study help us to gain a better understanding of employees’ perspectives on the onsite clinic’s service and roles.

Emerging role of let-7 family in the pathogenesis of hematological malignancies

Let-7 includes a family of miRNA which are implicated in the developmental processes as well as carcinogenesis. This miRNA family has been shown to influence pathogenesis of a variety of hematological malignancies through changing expression of a number of oncogenic pathways, particularly those related with MYC. Expression of these miRNAs has been found to be different between distinct hematological malignancies or even between cytogenetically-defined subgroups of a certain malignancy. In the current review, we summarize the data regarding biogenesis, genomic locations, targets and regulatory network of this miRNA family in the context of hematological malignancies.

Possibility of Benzene Exposure in Workers of a Semiconductor Industry Based on the Patent Resources, 1990-2010

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to assess the possibility of benzene exposure in workers of a Korean semiconductor manufacturing company by reviewing the issued patents.

METHODS

A systematic patent search was conducted with the Google "Advanced Patent Search" engine using the keywords "semiconductor" and "benzene" combined with all of the words accessed on January 24, 2016.

RESULTS

As a result of the search, we reviewed 75 patent documents filed by a Korean semiconductor manufacturing company from 1994 to 2010. From 22 patents, we found that benzene could have been used as one of the carbon sources in chemical vapor deposition for capacitor; as diamond-like carbon for solar cell, graphene formation, or etching for transition metal thin film; and as a solvent for dielectric film, silicon oxide layer, nanomaterials, photoresist, rise for immersion lithography, electrophotography, and quantum dot ink.

CONCLUSION

Considering the date of patent filing, it is possible that workers in the chemical vapor deposition, immersion lithography, and graphene formation processes could be exposed to benzene from 1996 to 2010.

Establishment and operation of a cooperative program to identify work-related acute myeloid leukemia in a general hospital

Background

The purpose of this report is to introduce the occupational cancer surveillance system, implemented in June 2018, and to share the results of our cooperative program.

Methods

The cooperative program begins when the patient is diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Newly diagnosed AML patients are admitted to the internal medicine hematology department, then attending hematology physician requests a consultation from the occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) department. The OEM doctor next visits the hospitalized patient and interviews them to take their occupational history, and preliminarily evaluates the likelihood that the condition is associated with occupation. If the patient wants to apply for compensation through the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service, the patient was informed to visits the outpatient clinic of the OEM department and requests a ‘work-relatedness evaluation report’ for use in applying for compensation.

Results

Among the 103 patients, who received an OEM departmental work history evaluation, 18 patients were considered to have a work-related incidence and 12 patients were registered in the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance system.

Conclusions

The present report provides data on a sustainable model for identifying occupational disease in a general hospital setting, while also informing patients about their occupational rights.