CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF RISK-FACTORS FOR PROSTATE-CANCER

One hundred and one patients with histologically confirmed prostate ca ncer and 202 hospital controls individually matched by age (+/-2 years ), hospital admittance and place of residence, were interviewed during the period 1990-94 in two towns in central Serbia (Yugoslavia). In an analysis using multivariate logistic regression, the following factor s mere significantly related to prostate cancer: (1) occupational phys ical activity during the year preceding the disease [odds ratio (OR)3. 87, 95% confidence interval (95% Cl)=2.09-7.16]; (2) occupational expo sure to asbestos, steel, dyes and lacquers, bitumen, pitch, iron, nick er, lead, fertilizer and certain other agents (OR=2.13, 95% Cl=1.05-4. 32); (3) nephrolithiasis (OR=4.52, 95% Cl=1.34-15.30); (4) 'other' dis eases in medical history such as chronic bronchitis, chronic rheumatic diseases, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, diabetes mellitus, renal dise ases, eye diseases and tuberculosis (OR=3.14, 95% Cl=1.56-6.33); (5) a greater number (greater than or equal to 3) of brothers (OR=2.08, 95% Cl=1.35-3.22); and (6) greater numbers (greater than or equal to 8) o f sexual partners (OR=2.24, 95% Cl=1.13-4.44). Marital status, age at first marriage, educational level, age at first sexual intercourse, fr equency of sexual intercourse, venereal diseases, tonsillectomy, appen dectomy, hernia inguinale and hydrocele, anthropometric characteristic s, smoking history, sport and recreational activities and family histo ry of prostatic neoplasms were not found to be independently related t o prostate cancer.