OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES AND GASTRIC-CANCER

The role of occupational substances as stomach carcinogens has not bee n well investigated. In 1979, a population-based case-control study wa s undertaken In Montreal to explore the possible association between h undreds of occupational circumstances and several cancer sites, includ ing the stomach, In total, 250 male patients with pathologically confi rmed stomach cancer, 2,289 male controls with cancers at other sites, and 533 population based male controls were interviewed to obtain deta iled job histories and relevant data on potential confounders. Job his tories were evaluated by expert chemists and hygienists and translated into a history of occupational exposures, On the basis of results of preliminary analyses and literature review, we selected 16 occupations and industries and 32 substances for in-depth multivariate analysis u sing the pooled group of cancer and population controls. We found elev ated risks for excavators and pavers, forestry workers, electric and e lectronic workers, motor transport workers, and food industry employee s. The substances that were most plausibly associated with gastric can cer were: crystalline silica, leaded gasoline, grain dust, lead dust, zinc dust, hydraulic fluids, and glycol ethers. The paucity of data do cumenting the association between most of these occupational circumsta nces and gastric cancer precludes drawing firm conclusions.