Stomach cancer and occupation in Sweden: 1971–89

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the relation between gastric cancer and occupation among men and women gainfully employed in 1970 in Sweden for the period 1971-89 and, more specifically, to evaluate whether any excess of incidence of gastric cancer had also occurred among the subcohort of people reporting the same occupation in 1960 and 1970. Methods: In both sexes and cohorts, relative risks adjusted for age, period of diagnosis, and geographical risk area were computed for occupational codes specified at one, two, or three level (occupational sector, occupational group, and occupation, respectively). Relative risks were calculated with all other occupations as reference and then, to take socioeconomic status into account, solely other occupations within the same occupational sector were used. Results: Among men, occupations with increased risk included miners and quarrymen, construction and metal processing workers, supporting the possible causative role of dusty environments in stomach cancer. In men, the results also provide support for increased risks among electrical and mechanical engineers, fishermen, petrol station workers, motor vehicle drivers, butchers and meat preparers, dockers, freight handlers, launderers and dry cleaners. Furthermore, it is worth noting interesting results for women, whose occupational risks have been studied less. Excess risks were found for practical nurses, cashiers, bank employees, engineering and electronic industry workers, food industry, housekeeping and cleaning workers. Due to the many occupations studied, several significant associations may be expected by chance. Conclusions: The study is explorative but provides support for the relations suggested previously between occupational exposure to dusty environments and stomach cancer, together with some new high risk occupations which should be further studied.

Airborne exposures and risk of gastric cancer: A prospective cohort study

“…12 This is in line with the results of the current study. However, no association between specific exposure to organic solvents and risk of gastric cancer was found in a Swedish case-control study.…”

“…23 There have been reports on positive associations between various occupational groups and risk of gastric cancer, 10,12 notably ''dusty'' occupations, e.g., coal and tin mining, [24][25][26][27][28][29] metal processing, [30][31][32][33][34][35] rubber manufacturing [36][37][38][39][40] and carpentry or construction work. 10,12 Other dusty work environments have also been implicated in the etiology. [41][42][43][44] However, possible occupational exposures linked to a risk of gastric cancer have not been established, since the majority of previous studies have not addressed specific exposures, have not adjusted for potential confounders, or have revealed only weak associations without dose-response patterns.…”

“…In many male-dominated industries, the exposure to carcinogenic agents is high, and the reduction of occupational chemical hazards in industrialized countries during recent decades 9 seems to have coincided with the falling incidence of gastric cancer, indicating a possible etiologic role of occupational exposures. In line with this, several occupations and ''dusty'' work environments have been implicated in the etiology of this disease, [10][11][12] but unfortunately, the scientific evidence regarding an association between dust exposure and risk of gastric cancer is insufficient and there is a need for further investigations of specific agents. 10 We hypothesized that specific airborne exposures, which often occur in the construction industry, such as dust, fumes and solvents, could be inhaled and swallowed and have a direct harmful effect on the gastric mucosa.…”

Cancer risk among Finnish food industry workers

“…Food industry workers as an undivided occupational group have shown an elevated risk of cancer of the oesophagus, 11 stomach, [12][13][14] small intestine, 15 gall bladder 16 and pancreas. 16 We only found an excess of pancreas cancer among Finnish male food industry workers.…”

Spatial Analysis of Stomach Cancer Incidence in Iran

“…studies showed that Pylori infection, smoking, and exposure to industrial materials such as nitrogen oxides, N-nitro compounds, and ionizing radiation are among the important factors of stomach cancer (Cocco et al, 1994;Forman and Burley, 2006;Hartgrink et al, 2009;Malekzadeh et al, 2009;Radmard, 2010;Hasanzadeh et al, 2013). Studies also have shown a higher incidence of stomach cancer in certain occupational groups, including miners and quarrymen, farmers, fishermen, masonry and concrete workers, machine operators, nurses, food industry workers, cooks, launderers, and dry cleaners (Swanson and Burns, 1995;Kang et al, 1997;Simpson et al, 1999;Aragonés et al, 2002).…”