[Lung cancer among the autochthonous population and among immigrants Upper Silesia in relation to smoking, exposure to harmful factors at work and atmospheric pollution].

: By the case-control method 367 patients with lung carcinoma coming from the autochthonous population of Upper Silesia and 253 similar patients from the population of immigrants from other areas were compared (620 cases, in all) treated in the Institute of Oncology in Gliwice in the years 1982-1989. They accounted for about 85% of all male patients with this tumour. In the analysis three zones of Upper Silesia with varying concentrations of atmospheric pollution, where the patients lived, were considered, estimating the risk of this tumour in relation to pollution level, and standardizing the risk for tobacco smoking and considering data related to the exposure to harmful factors in occupational work. The analysis showed that the so called summarized index of relative risk was about 2.5 times greater for the autochthonous as well as immigrant populations in the zone of greatest atmospheric pollution with statistically significant differences in relation to the relatively most favourable zone (accepted as 1.00) However, the risk was progressively rising only in the autochthonous population (in all 3 zones). That showed that the risk of lung carcinoma was increasing in this population with increasing atmospheric pollution. This evident progression of risk was not found in the population of immigrants, although the risk level in this population living in the zone of greatest pollution was similar to that in the autochthonous population.