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Reproductive history, occupational exposures, and thyroid cancer risk among women textile workers in Shanghai, China

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Abstract

Objectives: Thyroid cancer risk has been previously associated with increased age at first pregnancy and history of miscarriage. Occupational risk factors for thyroid cancer, with the exception of radioactive iodine, have not been well investigated. We conducted a case-cohort study nested in a cohort of 267,400 female textile workers in Shanghai, China, who had been followed for cancer incidence during 1989–1998. Methods: The analysis included 130 incident thyroid cases and 3,187 subcohort non-cases. Reproductive history was determined by questionnaire at baseline. Historical exposures were reconstructed from work history and information on factory processes and exposures. Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for reproductive factors and occupational exposures. Results: Associations were observed between thyroid cancer and employment in jobs with 10 or more years of benzene exposure (HR 6.43, 95% CI: 1.08, 38) and formaldehyde exposure (HR 8.33, 95% CI: 1.16, 60). Administration workers also had an increased risk (HR 1.56, 95% CI: 1.08, 2.25). No associations between examined reproductive factors and thyroid cancer were observed in this study. Conclusions: Despite statistically imprecise risk estimates, the findings suggest potential associations with some occupational chemical exposures in this cohort of textile workers.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. Noah Seixas and Janice Camp for their work on exposure assessment; Shirley Zhang and Ted Grichuhin for programming support; Dr. Fan Liang Chen, Dr. Yong Wei Hu, Dr. Guan Lin Zhao, and Dr. Lei Dan Pan for their support of this cohort; Dr. Yu-Tang Gao, Dr. Fan Jin, and Dr. Yong-Bing Xiang for access to the data from the SCR; and Wen Wan Wang, the STIB industrial hygienists and all Breast Self-Exam workers for their efforts in collecting and coding the data. This study was supported by grants R01-CA 80180 from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and T32 ES07262 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NCI or NIEHS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    E. Y. Wong, K. J. Wernli & H. Checkoway

  2. Program in Epidemiology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA

    R. Ray, W. Li, E. D. Fitzgibbons & D. B. Thomas

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Zhong Shan Hospital Cancer Center, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

    D. L. Gao

  4. Cancer Prevention Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA

    Z. Feng

  5. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Box 357234, Seattle, WA, 98195-7234, USA

    H. Checkoway

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  1. E. Y. Wong
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  2. R. Ray
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  3. D. L. Gao
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  4. K. J. Wernli
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  5. W. Li
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  6. E. D. Fitzgibbons
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  7. Z. Feng
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  8. D. B. Thomas
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  9. H. Checkoway
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Correspondence to H. Checkoway.

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Wong, E.Y., Ray, R., Gao, D.L. et al. Reproductive history, occupational exposures, and thyroid cancer risk among women textile workers in Shanghai, China. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 79, 251–258 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-005-0036-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-005-0036-9

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