SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS, URBANIZATION GRADE, AND PROSTATE-CANCER

In a population-based case-referent study, carried out in The Netherla nds, the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and urbanizat ion grade on the one hand and prostate cancer incidence on the other h as been investigated. Two explanations for a potential association hav e been taken into account. First, there is a relationship with SES cla ss (or with urbanization grade) in the past, referring to an effect on the induction or promotion of prostate cancer caused by variation in exposure to particular risk factors. Second, there is a relationship w ith current SES (or urbanization grade), resulted in differences in me dical screening. Study data were obtained by means of a validated mail ed questionnaire, which has been completed and returned by 345 cases ( with histologically confirmed prostate cancer) and 1,346 referents (pa tients with benign prostate hyperplasia). The response was 79%. No cle ar relationship was observed with SES, based on the major job held bet ween 1960-1970 (the period of cancer induction), nor was this the case with SES based on the longest-held job (as a proxy for current SES). A slight, but statistically nonsignificant, trend was found of higher risks in subjects living in rural areas, with an urban/ rural ratio of 0.79. Considering the results of this study and those of previous stu dies reviewed in this paper, it might be doubted that any relationship is to be found between prostate cancer risk and SES or urbanization g rade. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.