Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Occupation and bladder cancer in European women

  • Published:
Cancer Causes & Control Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives: We examined the importance of occupational exposures for bladder cancer in women.

Methods: We combined data from 11 case-control studies conducted between 1976 and 1996 in six European countries. The pooled data comprised 700 incident female cases and 2425 population or hospital controls, aged 30–79 years. Lifetime occupational and smoking history were examined using common coding.

Results: Excess risks were found in only a few of the occupations previously identified at high risk for bladder cancer. Statistically significant excess risks were observed for metal workers, particularly blacksmiths, toolmakers and machine tool operators (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1–3.6), tobacco workers (OR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.1–9.3), field crop and vegetable farm workers (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.0–3.1), tailors and dress makers (OR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.0–2.1), saleswomen (OR: 2.6, 95% CI: 1.0–6.9), and mail sorting clerks (OR: 4.4, 95% CI: 1.0–19.5). About 8% (95% CI: 3.1–19.9) of all bladder cancers in women could be attributed to occupation after adjusting for smoking. The attributable risk was higher in women aged less than 65 years (12%), compared to older women (4%).

Conclusions: The calculation of the attributable risk on the basis of results from this analysis may have caused some overestimation of the proportion of occupational bladder cancer in women. A significant proportion, however, of bladder cancer cases among European women less than 65years is likely to be attributed to occupation. This link between bladder cancer in women and occupational factors has received little recognition, probably because studies addressing these issues have predominantly been done in men.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Parkin DM, Whelan SL, Ferlay J, Raymond L. Young J (1997) Cancer Incidence in Five Continents. Vol. VII. Lyon, France: IARC Scientific Publications Number 143.

  2. Swanson GM, Burns PB (1995) Cancer incidence among women in the workplace: a study of the association between occupation and industry and 11 cancer sites. J Occup Environ Med 37: 282-287.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Cordier S, Clavel J, Limasset JC, Boccon-Gibod L, Moua NLE, Mandereau L, Hemon D (1993) Occupational risks of bladder cancer in France: a multicentric case-control study. Int J Epidemiol 22: 403-411.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Anton-Culver H, Lee-Peldstein A, Taylor TH (1992) Occupation and bladder cancer risk. Am J Epidemiol 136: 89-94.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Piper JM, Matanoski GM, Tonascia J (1986) Bladder cancer in young women Am J Epidemiol 123: 1033-1042.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Maffi L, Vineis P (1986) Occupation and bladder cancer in females. Med Lav 77: 511-514.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Silverman DT, Levin L, Hoover RN (1990) Occupational risks of bladder cancer among white women in the United States. Am J Epidemiol 132: 453-461.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Claude JC, Frentzel-Beyme RR, Kunze E (1988) Occupation and risk of cancer of the lower urinary tract among men. A case-control study. Int J Cancer 41: 371-379.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bolm-Audorff U, Jöckel KH, Kilguss B, Pohlabeln H, Siepenkothen T (1993) Occupational risk factors for cancer of the lower urinary tract. Bremerhaven: Schriftenreihe der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz, Wirtschaftsverlag NW, pp. 1-179 (in German).

  10. Greiser E, Molzahn M, eds. (1997) Multizentrische Nieren-und Urothel-Carcinom-Studie [Multi-Center Urothelial and Renal Cancer Study]. Bremerhaven: Wirtschaftsveralg NW, Verlag für Neue Wiss. (Schriftenreihe der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin: Forschung; Fb 780).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Hours M, Dananche B, Fevotte J, Bergeret A, Ayzac L, Cardis E, et al. (1994) Bladder cancer and occupational exposures. Scand J Work Environ Health 20: 322-330.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Vineis P, Magnani C (1985) Occupation and bladder cancer in males: a case-control study. Int J Cancer 35: 599-606.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Porru S, Aultenti V, Donato F, Boffetta P, Fazioli R, Cosciani Cunico S, et al. (1996) Bladder cancer and occupation: a case-control study in northern Italy. Occup Environ Med 53: 6-10.

    Google Scholar 

  14. González CA, López-Abente G, Errezola M, Escolar A, Riboli E, Izarzugaza I, Nebot M (1989) Occupation and bladder cancer in Spain: a multi-centre case-control study Int J Epidemiol 18: 569-577.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Rebelakos A, Trichopoulos D, Tzonou A, Zavitsanos X, Velonakis E, Trichopoulos A (1985) Tobacco smoking, coffee drinking and occupation as risk factors for bladder cancer in Greece. J Natl Cancer Inst 75: 455-461.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Jensen OM, Wahrendorf J, Knudsen JB, Sorensen BL (1987) The Copenhagen case-referent study on bladder cancer. Risks among drivers, painters and certain other occupations. Scand J Work Environ Health 13: 129-134.

    Google Scholar 

  17. International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO, Revised 1968) Geneva: International Labour Organization (ILO): ILO Publications 2nd ed.

  18. International Standard Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) (1971) United Nations Publication ST/STAT/M.4/Rev.2/Add.1, Sales No.: E.71.XVII.8). New York: Publishing Service United Nations.

  19. Silverman D, Morrison A, Devesa S (1996) Bladder Cancer. In: Schottenfeld D, Fraumeni J, eds. Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 1156-1179.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Pannett B, Coggon D, Acheson ED (1985) A job-exposure matrix for use in population based studies in England and Wales. Br J Ind Med 42: 777-783.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Kauppinen T, Toikkanen J, Pukkala E (1998) From cross-tabulations to multipurpose exposure information systems: a newly job-exposure matrix. Am J Ind Med 33: 409-417.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Bruzzi P, Green SB, Byar DP, Brinton LA, Schairer C (1985) Estimating the population attributable risk for multiple risk factors using case-control data. Am J Epidemiol 122: 904-914.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Greenland S, Drescher K (1993) Maximum likelihood estimation of the attributable fraction from logistic models. Biometrics 49: 865-872.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Hartge P, Harvey EB, Linehan WM, Silverman DT, Sullivan JW, Hoover RN, Fraumeni JF Jr (1990) Unexplained excess risk of bladder cancer in men. J Natl Cancer Inst 82: 1636-1640.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Blair A, Grauman DJ, Lubin JH, Fraumeni JF Jr (1983) Lung cancer and other causes of death among licensed pesticide applicators. J Natl Cancer Inst 71: 31-37.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Viel JF, Callier B (1995) Bladder cancer among French farmers: does exposure to pesticides in vineyards play a part? Occup Environ Med 52: 587-592.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Akdas A, Kirkali Z, Bilir N (1990) Epidemiological case-control study on the etiology of bladder cancer in Turkey. Eur Urol 17: 23-26.

    Google Scholar 

  28. IARC (1991) Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Vol. 53. Occupational Exposures in Insecticide Application and Some Pesticides. Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Kogevinas M, Kauppinen T, Boffetta P, Saracci R (1998) Estimation of the burden of occupational cancer in Europe. Final Report, IMIM, Barcelona.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Dreyer L, Andersen A, Pukkala E (1997) Occupation. In: Olsen JH, Andersen A, Dreyer L, Pukkala E, Tryggvadottir L, Gerhardsson de Verdier M, Winther JF, eds. Avoidable cancers in the Nordic countries. APMIS 105 (Suppl 105): 68-79.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Respiratory and Environmental Health Research Unit, Insitut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica(IMIM), 80 Doctor Aiguader Rd., Barcelona, 08003, Spain (Tel

    Andrea 't Mannetje & Manolis Kogevinas

  2. Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Abteilung Epidomiologie, Heidelberg, Germany

    Jenny Chang-Claude & Jürgen Wahrendorf

  3. Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale-INSERM, Villejuif, France

    Sylvaine Cordier

  4. Institut de recerca epidemiològica clìnica, Mataró, Spain

    Carlos-Alberto González

  5. Insitut d'Épidémiologie, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, France

    Martine Hours

  6. Biometrie und Epidemiologie, Institut für Medizinische Informatik, Essen, Germany

    Karl-Heinz Jöckel

  7. Arbeit and Sozialordnung, Hessisches Ministerium für Frauen, Wiesbaden, Germany

    Ulrich Bolm-Audorff

  8. Danish Cancer Society, Kobenhavn, Denmark

    Elsebeth Lynge

  9. Institute of Occupational Health, University of Brescia, Italy

    Stefano Porru

  10. Institute of Hygiene, University of Brescia, Italy

    Francesco Donato

  11. Medical Institute of Environmental Hygiene, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Ulrich Ranft

  12. Centre d'Estudis, Programes i Serveis Sanitaris, Sabadell, Spain

    Consol Serra

  13. Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical School of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Anastasia Tzonou

  14. Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, Turin, Italy

    Paolo Vineis

  15. Unit of Environemntal Cancer Epidemiology, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France

    Paolo Boffetta

Authors
  1. Andrea 't Mannetje
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Manolis Kogevinas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jenny Chang-Claude
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sylvaine Cordier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Carlos-Alberto González
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Martine Hours
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Karl-Heinz Jöckel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Ulrich Bolm-Audorff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Elsebeth Lynge
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Stefano Porru
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Francesco Donato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Ulrich Ranft
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Consol Serra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  14. Anastasia Tzonou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  15. Paolo Vineis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  16. Jürgen Wahrendorf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  17. Paolo Boffetta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manolis Kogevinas.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mannetje, A.'., Kogevinas, M., Chang-Claude, J. et al. Occupation and bladder cancer in European women. Cancer Causes Control 10, 209–217 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008852127139

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008852127139

Search

Navigation