Occupation as a risk factor for uveal melanoma in Germany.

Joel Monárrez-Espino,Anreas Stang,Hiltrud Merzenich,Karl-Heinz Jöckel,Katja Bromen,Gerasimos Anastassiou

doi:10.5271/sjweh.675

Abstract

This study explored occupational risks linked to uveal melanoma. The analysis pooled data from two case-referent studies (hospital- and population-based) conducted in Germany between 1995 and 1998, with incident cases matched with several referents by age, gender, and region of residence. The subjects were contacted through personal or telephone interviews. Their exposure status was based on their occupational history. Dichotomous coding for the main task and categorization into different occupational classification systems was performed. Altogether of 118 cases and 475 referents were included. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated by conditional logistic regression. Relevant occupations included food, beverage, and tobacco processors [odds ratio (OR) 4.7, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.99-22.0] and miners (OR 2.3, 95% CI 0.92-5.99) among the men and station, engine and heavy equipment operators and freight handlers (OR 2.5, 95% CI 0.94-6.58) and medical, dental, pharmaceutical and veterinary workers (OR 2.1, 95% CI 0.71-6.02) among the women according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations, whereas, according to the European Industrial Classification, the relevant occupations were the food industry (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.08-10.5) and the chemical and pharmaceutical industry (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.01-7.78) among the men and machine production (OR 3.2, 95% CI 0.96-10.7) and health and veterinary sector (OR 2.4, 95% CI 0.97-5.71) among the women. These analyses support the potential role of occupational exposure as a risk factor for uveal melanoma. The findings must be interpreted carefully since the exposure was assessed indirectly.

Highlights

By Joel Monárrez-Espino, MD,1 Andreas Stang, MD,1 Katja Bromen, PhD,1 Hiltrud Merzenich, PhD,2 Gerasimos Anastassiou, MD,3 Karl-Heinz Jöckel, PhD 1
This study explored occupational risks linked to uveal melanoma
Relevant occupations included food, beverage, and tobacco processors [odds ratio (OR) 4.7, 95% confidence interval 0.99–22.0] and miners among the men and station, engine and heavy equipment operators and freight handlers and medical, dental, pharmaceutical and veterinary workers among the women according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations, whereas, according to the European Industrial Classification, the relevant occupations were the food industry and the chemical and pharmaceutical industry among the men and machine production and health and veterinary sector among the women

Summary

Methods

The analysis pooled data from two case-referent studies (hospital- and population-based) conducted in Germany between 1995 and 1998, with incident cases matched with several referents by age, gender, and region of residence. The subjects were contacted through personal or telephone interviews Their exposure status was based on their occupational history. Between 1995 and 1997, Germany and other European countries participated in a multinational populationbased case-referent study on occupational risk factors for eight rare cancers, including uveal melanoma. During the fieldwork for the European study, an additional hospital-based case-referent study, limited to the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, was carried out at the Eye Clinic, University of Essen, using the same questionnaires and personnel. This hospital is a referral center for eye tumors, and 250–300 uveal melanoma patients are treated there every year. The reasons for nonparticipation were refusals and inability to contact cases, 11% and 5% of the eligible cases, respectively

Results

Discussion

Conclusion