LARYNGEAL AND HYPOPHARYNGEAL CANCER AND OCCUPATION - RESULTS OF A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

Objectives-To ascertain whether certain occupations are associated wit h laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer. Methods-A hospital based case-co ntrol study was carried out in 15 hospitals in France. It included 528 male cases diagnosed between January 1989 and April 1991, and 305 mal e controls with various other types of cancer. Interviews were carried out to obtain Lifetime job histories and information on potential con founders. Logistic regression was used to compute the odds ratios (OR) for each of about 80 occupations and industries. Results-There was an excess risk of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer among service work ers (OR 2.2, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.3 to 3.9), agricultura l and animal husbandry workers (OR 1.6, 95% CI 0.9 to 2.8), miners and quarrymen (OR 2.0, 95% CI 0.9 to 4.3), plumbers and pipe fitters (OR 2.6, 95% CI 0.8 to 8.1), glass formers and potters (OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.0 to 18), transport equipment operators (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.5), an d unskilled workers (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.9). Analysis by industria l branch showed an excess risk for coal mining (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1 to 4.1), manufacture of metal products (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.0 to 3.3), and a dministration and sanitary services (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.5). Concl usion-These results suggest that occupational exposure might have a ro le in generating laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer, and indicate the need for further evaluation of these findings, and for the identifica tion of the carcinogens which might account for the excess risks found for certain occupations.