Occupational Risk Factors for Breast Cancer among Nurses

Abstract

A case-referent study nested in a cohort was used to evaluate occupational variables in the incidence of breast cancer among nurses. There were 59 cases and 118 randomly chosen referents. The participation rate was 97%. Odds ratios (ORs)and 95% confidence intervals (CIs)were calculated and the weights of potential confounding factors estimated by unconditional logistic regression. The odds ratio for breast cancer in a sister was 2.83 (95% CI 1.03-7.81). Specialization in pediatric, psychiatric, general (surgical and medical), geriatric, and primary care nursing, and "other kinds of nursing," gave an adjusted OR of 1.95 (95% CI 0.84-4.54). When working in different wards was accounted for, the highest adjusted ORs were found among nurses handling cytotoxic drugs, OR 1.65 (95% CI 0.53-5.17), and among pediatric nurses, OR 1.47 (95% CI 0.63-3.41); the lowest ORs were found among nurses in primary health care, OR 0.44 (95% CI 0.20-0.96). Analyses of the data stratified on age showed similar results. Occupational risks were not ascertained. Not only occupation but career-related life-styles should be taken into account in studies of health outcomes among working women.

Cancer mortality among women employed in health care occupations in 24 U.S. States, 1984-1993

“…Some registry-based studies reported elevated mortality due to breast cancer [Bulbulyan et al, 1992;Morton, 1995]. A nested case-control study showed that risk depended on nursing specialty [Gunnarsdóttir and Rafnsson, 1997]. Increased risk of breast cancer occurred for geriatric, psychiatric, and pediatric wards, operating rooms, intensive care, and those handling cytostatics, while risks were low for all nurses combined and nurses who worked in primary care, medical, anesthesia, and surgery wards.…”

Cancer incidence among large cohort of female Danish registered nurses

“…Most previous studies of nurses have included limited data on employment history and confounding factors, focused on few cancers only, or been relatively small (6)(7)(8)(9)(10).…”

Cancer risk among 43 000 Norwegian nurses

“…Being a nurse implies the possibility of exposure to different established and suspected carcinogens such as ionizing radiation (1), antineoplastic drugs (2,3), and sterilizing gases (4), as described in a recent review (5). The nature of the work performed by nurses also makes shift and night work inevitable.…”