Case Control Study Of High Risk Occupations For Bladder Cancer In New Zealand

Main Category: Urology / Nephrology
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 16 Dec 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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UroToday.com- This article published in International Journal of Cancer identifies the high-risk occupations for the development of bladder cancer in New Zealand workers. Using a case-control format 213 incident cases of bladder cancer (age 25-70 years) notified to the New Zealand Cancer Registry during 2003 and 2004. 471 population controls were interviewed face-to-face. The questionnaire collected demographic information and a full occupational history. The relative risks for developing bladder cancer were adjusted for age, sex, smoking, and socio-economic status.

The authors found an elevated bladder cancer risk was observed for hairdressers (odds ratio (OR) 9.15 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI) 1.60-62.22), and sewing machinists (OR 3.07 95%CI 1.35-6.96). Importantly, previous reported occupations associated with bladder cancer formation were not seen including painters, wallpaper hangers, sales clerks, printing trade workers, and truck drivers. The odds ratios for painters, printers, and truck drivers are consistent with excesses observed in other studies but did not reach statistical significance. Non-statistically elevated risks for bladder cancer formation were tailors, dressmakers, rubber and plastic products machine operators, builders, and female market and crop growers.

This study confirmed the previously reported increased bladder cancer risk for hair dressers and sewing machinists and identified other occupations that had elevated risks for bladder cancer that did not reach statistical significance, in part due to sample size.

Dryson E, 't Mannetje A, Walls C, McLean D, McKenzie F, Maule M, Cheng S, Cunningham C, Kromhout H, Boffetta P, Blair A, Pearce N

Intl J Cancer. ePub: November 20, 2007

doi: 10.1002/ijc.23194

Reported by UroToday.com Contributing Editor David P. Wood, M.D

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