HIGH-FREQUENCY OF METALWORKERS AMONG PATIENTS WITH SEMINOMATOUS TUMORS OF THE TESTIS - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

Occupational analyses were conducted between 1971 and 1978 comparing 1 65 cases of testicular cancer in the Hannover region of Germany with 1 87 controls without neoplastic diseases admitted to the Hannover Unive rsity Medical School during the same period. The results showed a sign ificantly higher risk of metal workers developing seminomas and mixed seminomatous tumors compared to the controls (odds ratio 2.05; 1.17-3. 58). There was a lack of risk for the nonseminomatous tumors as a whol e group, and cases with a history of metal work may have a decreased r isk for embryonal carcinomas. No definite single noxious substance res ponsible for the development of testicular tumors could be dected. In view of the results in animal experiments, cadmium and zinc are especi ally considered in the discussion. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.