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Occupational exposures and risk of pancreatic cancer

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Abstract

The objective was to analyze the relationship between occupation (and specific occupational exposures) and risk of exocrine pancreatic cancer (EPC). We conducted a multicenter hospital-based case–control study in Eastern Spain. We included 161 incident cases of EPC (59.6% men, 94 with histological confirmation, of whom 80% had ductal adenocarcinoma). Cases were frequency-matched with 455 controls by sex, age and province of residence. Information was elicited using structured questionnaires. Occupations were coded according to the Spanish version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations 1988. Occupational exposure to a selection of carcinogenic substances was assessed with the Finnish Job-Exposure Matrix (FINJEM). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by multiple logistic regression, adjusting for sex, age, province, education, alcohol and smoking. A higher risk of EPC was associated with having worked as ‘Miners, shotfirers, stone cutters and carvers’, ‘Machinery mechanics and fitters’, ‘Building trades workers’ and ‘Motor vehicle drivers’ in men, ‘Office Clerks’ in women, and ‘Waiters’ in both sexes. Cases with ductal adenocarcinomas were more likely to have been exposed to chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents (OR = 4.1, 95% CI: 1.1–15.2, p-trend = 0.04). We also observed significant associations with exposure to ‘synthetic polymer dust exposure’ and ‘ionizing radiation’. Suggestive increases in risk were observed for ‘pesticides’, ‘diesel and gasoline engine exhaust’, and ‘hydrocarbon solvents’. Results support the hypothesis that occupational exposure to chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents is associated with exocrine pancreatic cancer.

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Abbreviations

CHC:

Chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents

CI:

Confidence intervals

EPC:

Exocrine pancreatic cancer

FINJEM:

Finnish job-exposure matrix

OR:

Odds ratio

ORh:

Odds ratio for the highest level of exposure

OR men:

Odds ratio restricted to men

OR women:

Odds ratio restricted to women

PAH:

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

CNO94:

Spanish national classification of occupations, 1994

SD:

Standard deviation

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Acknowledgments

This work was partly supported by Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS 91/0435), Fundación Bienvenida Navarro Luciano-Trípodi, and Fundación Hospital Universitario de Elche (cod 01/07) Generalitat Valenciana (EVES 030/2005; CTGCA/2002/06; G03/136). We would also like to acknowledge editorial assistance provided by Jonathan Whitehead.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Support Unit, IFIMAV-Marques de Valdecilla Foundation, Santander, Spain

    Miguel Santibañez

  2. Departamento de Salud Pública, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Elche-Alicante, Spain

    Miguel Santibañez, Jesús Vioque & Manuela García de la Hera

  3. CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain

    Jesús Vioque, Juan Alguacil, Manuela García de la Hera & Miquel Porta

  4. Departamento de Biología Ambiental y Salud Pública, Universidad de Huelva, Avda. Fuerzas Armadas s/n, 21071, Huelva, Spain

    Juan Alguacil

  5. Servicio de Medicina Digestiva, Hospital Universitario Dr. Peset, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    Eduardo Moreno-Osset

  6. Servicio de Oncología Médica, Hospital General de Elche, Elche, Spain

    Alfredo Carrato

  7. Institut Municipal d’Investigació Mèdica (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), Barcelona, Spain

    Miquel Porta

  8. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

    Miquel Porta

  9. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH), Helsinki, Finland

    Timo Kauppinen

Authors
  1. Miguel Santibañez
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  2. Jesús Vioque
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  3. Juan Alguacil
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  4. Manuela García de la Hera
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  5. Eduardo Moreno-Osset
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  6. Alfredo Carrato
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  7. Miquel Porta
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  8. Timo Kauppinen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Juan Alguacil.

Additional information

This study is conducted for the PANESOES Study Group. Please see the Appendix section for the members of PANESOES Study Group.

Appendix

Appendix

Members of PANESOES Study Group Jesus Vioque (principal investigator and coordinator of the study), Esperanza Ponce, María Guillén, Miguel Santibáñez, Xavier Barber, Manuela García de la Hera Departamento de Salud Pública, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Elche-Alicante, Spain; Miguel Bixquert, Jorge Alonso, Vicente Cervera, Remedios Giner, Juan Ruiz, Carlos Sanchos-Aldás, Javier Arenas, Hospital Arnau Vilanova de Valencia; Joaquin Berenguer, Teresa Sala, Sonia Pascual, Liria Argüello, Marco Bustamante, Salvador Sancho, Constantino Herranz, Jorge Aparicio, Dr. Baixauli, Jorge Mir, Pedro Sendrá, Hospital La Fe de Valencia; Enrique Medina, Alicia Tomé, Luis Ferrer, Ramón Truyenque, Luis Olabarrieta, Ricardo Fabra, Carlos Camps, Jose Maria Vicent, Hospital General de Valencia; Eduardo Moreno-Osset, Ramón Añón, José Ballester, Vicente Alfonso, Dr. Martínez-Abad, Francisco Blanes, Carmen Molins, Daniel Almenar, Santiago Olmos, Dr. Fenollosa, Hospital Doctor Peset de Valencia; Adolfo Benages-Martinez, Andrés Peña-Aldea, Dra. I. Pascual, Dr. García-Conde, Andrés Cervantes, Pilar Azagra, Dr. Lledó, Blas Flor, Vicente Martí, Hospital Clínico de Valencia; Miguel Pérez-Mateo, Juan Antonio Casellas, Eva Girona, Jose Ramón Aparicio, Mar López, Antonio Arroyo, Fernando Camuñas, Jesus de Anta, Hospital General de Alicante; Juan Custardoy, Concepción Martínez, Enrique Gaspar, Eduardo Muñoz, Hospital Comarcal de la Vega Baja; Alfredo Carrato, Maria Luisa Gozálvez, Rafael Calpena, Dr. Gassent, Dr. Pérez, Carlos Sillero C, Hospital General de Elche; Justo Medrano, Francisco Mauri, Marta Corona, Jorge Minguel, Hospital Universitario Sant Joan de Alicante.

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Santibañez, M., Vioque, J., Alguacil, J. et al. Occupational exposures and risk of pancreatic cancer. Eur J Epidemiol 25, 721–730 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-010-9490-0

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