Occupation and adult gliomas

Lifetime job histories from a population-based, case-control study of gliom as diagnosed among adults in the San Francisco Bay area between August 1991 and April 1994 were evaluated to assess occupational risk factors. Occupat ional data for 476 cases and 462 controls were analyzed, with adjustment fo r age, gender, education, and race. Imprecise increased risks were observed for physicians and surgeons (odds ratio (OR) = 3.5, 95% confidence interva l (Cl): 0.7, 17.6), artists (OR = 1.9, 95% Cl: 0.5, 6.5), foundry and smelt er workers (OR = 2.6, 95% Cl: 0.5, 13.1), petroleum and gas workers (OR = 4 .9, 95% Cl: 0.6, 42.2), and painters (OR = 1.6, 95% Cl: 0.5, 4.9). Legal an d social service workers, shippers, janitors, motor vehicle operators, and aircraft operators had increased odds ratios only with longer duration of e mployment. Physicians and surgeons, foundry and smelter workers, petroleum and gas workers, and painters showed increased risk for both astrocytic and nonastrocytic tumors. Artists and firemen had increased risk for astrocyti c tumors only, while messengers, textile workers, aircraft operators, and v ehicle manufacturing workers showed increased risk only for nonastrocytic t umors. Despite study limitations, including small numbers for many of the o ccupational groups, a high percentage of proxy respondents among cases, and lack of specific exposure information, associations were observed for seve ral occupations previously reported to be at higher risk for brain tumors g enerally and gliomas specifically.