New insights on occupational exposure and bladder cancer risk: a pooled analysis of two Italian case-control studies.

The main risk factor for bladder cancer (BC) is cigarette smoking, but also occupational exposure to carcinogens is relevant, causing about 4-10% of BC. We aimed at investigating the association between BC risk, occupations held in the past and exposure to occupational carcinogens, also assessing whether these associations were influenced by tumour grade.

We pooled data from two Italian case-control studies on male BC, analyzing 893 cases and 978 controls. Occupations were classified using the International Standard Classification of Occupations and exposure to carcinogens was assigned using a validated Job Exposure Matrix. Logistic regression approach was used as well as a semi-Bayesian model, based on a priori information on exposure.

A significantly increased BC risk was found for chemical engineering technicians, postmen, and lathe operators, but only, for the latter, the association remained significant after Bayesian control for type I error. Among carcinogens, cadmium and trichloroethylene were associated with BC. When analyzing data by grade, exposure to these carcinogens was associated with low-grade BC only.

Our results suggest that monitoring workplaces to prevent exposure to carcinogenic agents is still an important task, which should be still given adequate importance in public health.

International archives of occupational and environmental health. 2018 Nov 30 [Epub ahead of print]

Veronica Sciannameo, Angela Carta, Angelo d'Errico, Maria Teresa Giraudo, Francesca Fasanelli, Cecilia Arici, Milena Maule, Paolo Carnà, Paolo Destefanis, Luigi Rolle, Paolo Gontero, Giovanni Casetta, Andrea Zitella, Giuseppina Cucchiarale, Paolo Vineis, Stefano Porru, Carlotta Sacerdote, Fulvio Ricceri

Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Service, ASLTO3, Via Sabaudia 164, 10095, Grugliasco, TO, Italy., Department of Medical-Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy., Department of Mathematics "G. Peano", University of Turin, 10123, Turin, Italy., Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, CPO Piedmont, Department of Medical Sciences, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, University of Turin, 10126, Turin, Italy., University Research Center Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy., Unit of Urology U, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital, University of Turin, 10126, Turin, Italy., Unit of Urology I, Cellini Clinic, 10126, Turin, Italy., Imperial College London, London, W2 1PG, UK., Unit of Epidemiology, Regional Health Service, ASLTO3, Via Sabaudia 164, 10095, Grugliasco, TO, Italy. .