Cancer and Construction: What Occupational Histories in a Canadian Community Reveal

Citation

Brophy JT, Keith MM, Gorey KM, Laukkanen E, Luginaah IN, Abu-Zahra H, Watterson A, Hellyer DJ, Reinhartz A & Park RM (2007) Cancer and Construction: What Occupational Histories in a Canadian Community Reveal. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 13 (1), pp. 32-38. http://www.ijoeh.com/index.php/ijoeh

Abstract
From 2000 to 2002, male patients at a Canadian cancer treatment center with new-incident head-and-neck or esophageal cancers were invited to participate in a population-based study. The study population included 87 cases and 172 controls. A lifetime-history questionnaire was administered. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for occupational groups with a minimum of five cases, adjusted for duration of employment, age, smoking, alcohol, education, and income. A significantly increased risk was shown for construction workers (OR = 2.20; 95% CI 1.25–3.91). This investigation of a set of rare cancers over a limited time period demonstrates the feasibility of this research approach. The increased risk among construction workers supports the need for more comprehensive study of exposures in this occupational group.

Keywords
laryngeal; head-and-neck cancers; esophageal cancers; occupational histories; construction industry; population-based research

Journal
International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health: Volume 13, Issue 1