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Occupational exposure to arsenic and risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer in a multinational European study
Author(s) -
Surdu Simona,
Fitzgerald Edward F.,
Bloom Michael S.,
Boscoe Francis P.,
Carpenter David O.,
Haase Richard F.,
Gurzau Eugen,
Rudnai Peter,
Koppova Kvetoslava,
Févotte Joëlle,
Vahter Marie,
Leonardi Giovanni,
Goessler Walter,
Kumar Rajiv,
Fletcher Tony
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.28216
Subject(s) - skin cancer , medicine , odds ratio , environmental health , arsenic , confidence interval , occupational exposure , cancer , materials science , metallurgy
Occupational studies show a high risk of lung cancer related to arsenic exposure by inhalation; however, only a few studies, and with conflicting results, previously examined a potential link between arsenic exposure at work and skin cancer. The aim of this study is to assess airborne arsenic exposures at the workplace and to quantify associations with nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). The study sample consists of 618 incident cases of NMSC and 527 hospital‐based controls aged 30–79 years from Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Exposures were evaluated by local experts using occupational histories. Information on host factors and other exposures was collected and used to adjust the associations of interest using multivariable logistic regression. The lifetime prevalence of exposure to work‐related arsenic is 23.9% for cases and 15.5% for controls. No significant association between arsenic exposure in the workplace and NMSC was detected, although an increased adjusted odd ratio was observed for participants with higher cumulative lifetime workplace exposure to arsenic in dust and fumes compared to referents [odds ratios (OR) = 1.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.76–4.95]. There is evidence for modification of the workplace arsenic–NMSC association by work‐related sunlight exposure in women, with a markedly increased adjusted OR in the presence of workplace sunlight exposure (OR = 10.22, 95% CI = 2.48–42.07). Workplace coexposure to arsenic and sunlight may thus pose an increased risk of NMSC.