Occupational exposure to flour dust and the risk of head and neck cancer. Issue 10 (19th August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Carton, Matthieu; Menvielle, Gwenn; Cyr, Diane; Sanchez, Marie; Pilorget, Corinne; Guizard, Anne‐Valérie; Stücker, Isabelle; Luce, Danièle
• Is Part Of: American journal of industrial medicine. Volume 61:Issue 10(2018)
• Page Start: 869
• Page End: 873
• Publication Date: 2018-08-19
• Subjects: case‐control study -- flour dust -- head and neck cancer -- occupational exposure; Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Médecine du travail -- Périodiques; 616.9803
• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22899
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0271-3586

Abstract

Abstract : Background: To investigate the association between head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) risk and occupational exposure to flour dust in women and men, using data from ICARE, a French population‐based case‐control study. Methods: The analysis included 2053 cases of HNSCC and 3507 controls. Lifelong occupational history was collected. A job‐exposure matrix was used to assess exposure to flour dust. Odds‐ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusted for smoking, alcohol drinking, and asbestos exposure, were estimated with logistic regression models. Results: Ever exposure to flour dust was associated with elevated ORs in women (OR = 2.15, 95%CI: 1.01 4.55) and in men (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.11 2.17). In women, the risk increased with the probability, the duration, and the cumulative level of exposure. No dose‐response relationships were observed in men. Conclusions: Although the results were less conclusive in men than in women, overall, these findings provide some support to the hypothesis of a role of flour dust in the occurrence of HNSCC.