Occupational exposure to pesticides and other biocides and risk of thyroid cancer. Issue 7 (15th February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zeng, Fanhua; Lerro, Catherine; Lavoué, Jérôme; Huang, Huang; Siemiatycki, Jack; Zhao, Nan; Ma, Shuangge; Deziel, Nicole C; Friesen, Melissa C; Udelsman, Robert; Zhang, Yawei
• Is Part Of: Occupational and environmental medicine. Volume 74:Issue 7(2017)
• Page Start: 502
• Page End: 510
• Publication Date: 2017-02-15
• Subjects: thyroid cancer -- occupational exposure -- job-exposure matrix; Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; 616.980305
• DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2016-103931
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1351-0711

Abstract

Abstract : Objectives: To assess the associations between occupational exposure to biocides and pesticides and risk of thyroid cancer. Methods: Using data from a population-based case–control study involving 462 incident thyroid cancer cases and 498 controls in Connecticut collected in 2010–2011, we examined the association with occupational exposure to biocides and pesticides through a job-exposure matrix. We used unconditional logistic regression models to estimate OR and 95% CI, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Individuals who were occupationally ever exposed to biocides had an increased risk of thyroid cancer (OR=1.65, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.35), and the highest risk was observed for the high cumulative probability of exposure (OR=2.18, 95% CI 1.28 to 3.73). The observed associations were similar when we restricted to papillary thyroid cancer and well-differentiated thyroid cancer. Stronger associations were observed for thyroid microcarcinomas (tumour size ≤1 cm). No significant association was observed for occupational exposure to pesticides. Conclusions: Our study provides the first evidence linking occupational exposure to biocides and risk of thyroid cancer. The results warrant further investigation.