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Occupational risk factors for brain tumors: results from a population-based case-control study in Germany

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In a population-based case-control study in the Rhein—Neckar—Odenwald area (containing 1.3 million inhabitants) of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), risk factors were assessed for brain tumor development in 226 cases with primary brain tumors (ICD-9 191, 192.1, 192.0) and 418 population controls, interviewed by a standardized questionnaire. The analysis of occupational risk factors and smoking is presented. No elevated risk was found for smoking. Similarly, no significant effects were found for most occupations. Five specific occupational groups were examined because of a priori determination that they were of interest. Some categories showed slightly elevated risks but in none was the elevation statistically significant. A significant increase in risk for brain tumor development was found associated with working in electrical occupations for women (relative risk [RR]=5.2; 95 percent confidence interval [CI] 1.4–20.1) but not for men (RR=0.9, 95 percent CI 0.3–2.3).

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Authors
  1. Brigitte Schlehofer
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  2. Stefan Kunze
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  3. Wilfried Sachsenheimer
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  4. Maria Blettner
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  5. Dorothea Niehoff
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  6. Jürgen Wahrendorf
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Additional information

Drs Schlebofer, Blettner, Niehoff, and Wahrendorf are at the Institute of Epidemiology and Biometry, German Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany; Dr Kunze is at the Neurosurgical Clinic of the University of Heidelberg; and Dr Sachsenheimer is at the Neurosurgical Clinic of the Klinikum Mannheim/University of Heidelberg. Address correspondence to Dr Schlebofer at the German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-6900 Heidelberg, Germany. This study is part of an International Case-Control Study on Adult Brain Tumors coordinated by the SEARCH-Program of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France.

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Schlehofer, B., Kunze, S., Sachsenheimer, W. et al. Occupational risk factors for brain tumors: results from a population-based case-control study in Germany. Cancer Causes Control 1, 209–215 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00117472

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00117472

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