[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 20 (Wednesday, January 30, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5575-5576]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1550]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Case-Cohort Study of Cancer 
and Related Disorders Among Benzene-Exposed Workers in China (OMB No. 
0925-0454)

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment 
on proposed data collection projects, the National Cancer Institute 
(NCI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will publish periodic 
summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.

PROPOSED COLLECTION: Title: Case-Cohort Study of Cancer and Related 
Disorders Among Benzene-Exposed Workers in China. Type of Information 
Collection Request: Emergency Extension. Need and Use of Information 
Collection: Since 1987, the National Cancer Institute has collaborated 
with the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine (currently designated 
Chinese Centers for Disease Control) in a factory-based investigation 
of cancer mortality and incidence of lymphohematopoietic disorders in a 
cohort of 75,000 and 36,000 comparison workers in 12 cities in China. 
Our initial study revealed elevated risks of leukemia, myelodysplastic 
syndromes, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, benzene poisoning, and lung cancer 
among the benzene-exposed workers. During the past five years, data 
have been collected to enable more precise quantification of risks of 
the malignancies and related disorders with an additional 12 years of 
follow-up of the subjects using a case-control study design. Cases 
included all workers from the exposed and unexposed groups who were 
diagnosed with leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, non-Hodgkin 
lymphoma and all other hematopoietic disorders; benzene poisoning; and 
lung cancer. Controls were frequency matched to cases and selected from 
the exposed (N=1200) and unexposed (N=300) cohort members. Data have 
been collected from factories, hospitals, and directly from interviews 
of all living and next of kin of deceased cases and controls. 
Information collected from the interviews focuses on potential 
confounding exposures including smoking, non-occupational benzene 
exposure, level of education, medical conditions, use of specific 
medications, and family cancer history. This study

[[Page 5576]]

will provide better understanding of occupational and environmental 
risks from benzene exposure in the United States. It will be important 
to complete all data collection for the study to realize the full 
scientific benefit of this 20 year international collaboration. 
However, due to unexpected and unforeseen personnel problems and 
training issues in China, the researchers are requesting an emergency 
extension of three months to complete data collection. A detailed plan 
has been discussed and developed with the collaborators in China to 
complete all remaining data collections in the next three months.
    Frequency of Response: One-time study. Affected Public: Individuals 
or households.
    Type of Respondents: Workers or their next of kin. The annual 
reporting burden is reported in the following table:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Estimated                       Estimated
                                                     Estimated       number of        Average      total annual
               Type of respondents                   number of     responses per   burden hours    burden hours
                                                    respondents     respondent     per response      requested
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Workers.........................................            2156               1          \1\.37             317
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............             317
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ (22 minutes).

    There are no Capital Costs to report. There are also no Operating 
and/or Maintenance Costs to report.
    Request for Comments: Written comments and/or suggestions from the 
public and affected agencies are invited on one or more of the 
following points: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) The 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on those who are to 
respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
instruments, contact: Dr. Richard Hayes, Project Officer, OEB/EBP/DCEG/
NCI 6120 Executive Blvd., EPS Room 8114, Bethesda, MD 20892-7364, or 
call non-toll-free number (301) 435-3973 or fax your request to (301) 
402-1819 or E-mail your request, including your address to: 
[email protected].
    Comments Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection 
are best assured of having their full effect if received within 60-days 
of the date of this publication.

    Dated: January 24, 2008.
Vivian Horovitch-Kelley,
NCI Project Clearance Liaison, National Institutes of Health.
 [FR Doc. E8-1550 Filed 1-29-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P