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Occupational exposures to extremely low frequency magnetic fields and postmenopausal breast cancer
Author(s) -
Labrèche France,
Goldberg Mark S.,
Valois MarieFrance,
Nadon Louise,
Richardson Lesley,
Lakhani Ramzan,
Latreille Benoit
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.10264
Subject(s) - medicine , breast cancer , odds ratio , confidence interval , occupational exposure , logistic regression , case control study , cancer , occupational medicine , postmenopausal women , risk factor , gynecology , oncology , epidemiology , environmental health
Background The association between occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF‐MF) and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer was assessed in a case‐control study. Methods Breast cancer cases were compared to cancer controls. Interviewers elicited information on risk factors and on lifetime work history. Industrial hygienists assigned to each job average duration of exposure to ELF‐MF at four levels of intensities (“none,” <0.2 μT; “low,” 0.2–<0.5μT; “medium,” 0.5–<1μT; “high,” ≥1–10μT). Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results A total number of 608 cases and 667 controls participated. Adjusting for accepted breast cancer risk factors, we found an OR of 1.13 for lifetime occupational exposure to ELF‐MF at medium or high intensities. Risks were larger for exposures before age 35 (OR = 1.40), and statistically significant for exposures before 35 among cases with progesterone receptor positive tumors (OR = 1.56, 95% CI=1.02–2.39). Conclusions There appears to be a small increased risk for breast cancer among postmenopausal women exposed occupationally to ELF‐MF. Am. J. Ind. Med. 44:643–652, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.