Exposure to loud noise and risk of vestibular schwannoma: results from the INTERPHONE international case‒control study.

Isabelle Deltour,Siegal Sadetzki,Martine Hours,Alistair Woodward,Jack Siemiatycki,Sarah Fleming,Ausrele Kesminiene,Stefan Lönn,Angus Cook,Toru Takebayashi,Brigitte Schlehofer,Joachim Schüz,Maria Blettner,Daniel Krewski,Angela Chetrit,Anssi Auvinen,Naohito Yamaguchi,Monika Moissonnier,Klaus Schlaefer,Tore Tynes,Christoffer Johansen,Susanna Lagorio,Elisabeth Cardis,Tiina Salminen,Ivano Iavarone,Maria Feychting ,Lars Klæboe ,Graham G Giles ,Mary L Mcbride ,Minouk J Schoemaker ,L Montestrucq ,Gabriele Berg‐Beckhoff ,Marie‐Élise Parent ,Anthony Swerdlow ,Beth Armstrong ,Amélie Massardier-Pilonchery

doi:10.5271/sjweh.3781

Abstract

Objective Studies of loud noise exposure and vestibular schwannomas (VS) have shown conflicting results. The population-based INTERPHONE case‒control study was conducted in 13 countries during 2000-2004. In this paper, we report the results of analyses on the association between VS and self-reported loud noise exposure. Methods Self-reported noise exposure was analyzed in 1024 VS cases and 1984 matched controls. Life-long noise exposure was estimated through detailed questions. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using adjusted conditional logistic regression for matched sets. Results The OR for total work and leisure noise exposure was 1.6 (95% CI 1.4-1.9). OR were 1.5 (95% CI 1.3-1.9) for only occupational noise, 1.9 (95% CI 1.4-2.6) for only leisure noise and 1.7 (95% CI 1.2-2.2) for exposure in both contexts. OR increased slightly with increasing lag-time. For occupational exposures, duration, time since exposure start and a metric combining lifetime duration and weekly exposure showed significant trends of increasing risk with increasing exposure. OR did not differ markedly by source or other characteristics of noise. Conclusion The consistent associations seen are likely to reflect either recall bias or a causal association, or potentially indicate a mixture of both.

Highlights

We report the results of analyses on the association between vestibular schwannomas (VS) and self-reported loud noise exposure
The reference group consisted of participants who did not report that they had been exposed to loud noise up to 1 year before their reference date, at work, during leisure time, or both as appropriate
1279 VS cases were eligible for this study, of whom 146 declined to participate in the interview, 5 had died or were too ill to undertake an interview and no proxy could be found, 12 were not approached as requested by their treating physician, and 12 did not speak the respective center-specific interview languages

Summary

Introduction

Exposure to loud noise and risk of vestibular schwannoma: results from the INTERPHONE international case‒control study by Isabelle Deltour, PhD, Brigitte Schlehofer, MD, Amélie Massardier-Pilonchéry, MD, Klaus Schlaefer, MSc, Bruce Armstrong, PhD, Graham G Giles, PhD, Jack Siemiatycki, PhD, Marie-Elise Parent, PhD, Daniel Krewski, PhD, Mary McBride, MD, Christoffer Johansen, MD, Anssi Auvinen, MD, Tiina Salminen, PhD, Martine Hours, MD, Lucile Montestrucq, Maria Blettner, PhD, Gabriele Berg-Beckhoff, PhD, Siegal Sadetzki, MD, Angela Chetrit, MSc, Susanna Lagorio, MD, Ivano Iavarone, MD, Naohito Yamaguchi, MD, Toru Takebayashi, MD, Alistair Woodward, PhD, Angus Cook, MBChB, Tore Tynes, PhD, Lars Klaeboe, PhD, Maria Feychting, PhD, Stefan Lönn, PhD, Sarah Fleming, PhD, Anthony J Swerdlow, DSc, Minouk J Schoemaker, PhD, Monika Moissonnier, MSc, Ausrele Kesminiene, MD, Elisabeth Cardis, PhD, Joachim Schüz, PhD, for the INTERPHONE Study Group

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Conclusion