The INTEROCC case-control study: risk of meningioma and occupational exposure to selected combustion products, dusts and other chemical agents

• Published in: Occupational and environmental medicine (London, England) England), 2018-01, Vol.75 (1), p.12-22
• Main Authors: McElvenny, Damien M, van Tongeren, Martie, Turner, Michelle C, Benke, Geza, Figuerola, Jordi, Fleming, Sarah, Hours, Martine, Kincl, Laurel, Krewski, Daniel, McLean, Dave, Parent, Marie-Élise, Richardson, Lesley, Schlehofer, Brigitte, Schlaefer, Klaus, Sadetzki, Siegal, Schüz, Joachim, Siemiatycki, Jack, Cardis, Elisabeth
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Asbestos; Asbestos - adverse effects; Brain; Brain cancer; Brain Neoplasms - etiology; Cancer; Case studies; Case-Control Studies; Chemical agents; Combustion; Combustion products; Data collection; Dose-response effects; Dust; Epidemiology; Exposure; Female; Formaldehyde - adverse effects; Health risk assessment; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Meningeal Neoplasms; Meningioma; Meningioma - etiology; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases - etiology; Occupational exposure; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Occupational health; Odds Ratio; Oils - adverse effects; Organic chemistry; ORIGINAL ARTICLE; Regression analysis; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Risk management; Sex Factors; Smoke; Statistical analysis; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tumors
• ISSN: 1351-0711; 1470-7926
• DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2016-104280

BackgroundLittle is known about occupational risk factors for meningioma.ObjectivesTo study whether risk of meningioma is associated with several occupational exposures, including selected combustion products, dusts and other chemical agents.MethodsThe INTEROCC study was an international case-control study of brain cancer conducted in seven countries. Data collection by interview included lifetime occupational histories. A job exposure matrix was used to derive estimates of exposure for the 12 agents. ORs for ever versus never exposed and for exposure-response using duration of exposure and cumulative exposure were derived using conditional logistic regression stratified by sex, age group, country/region, adjusted for education.ResultsThese analyses included 1906 cases and 5565 controls. For 11 of the 12 agents, no excess risk was found for ever exposed. For ever exposure to oil mists, an elevated OR of 1.57 (95% CI 1.10 to 2.22, 51 exposed cases) was found. Statistically significant exposure-response relationships were observed with cumulative exposure (p=0.01) and duration of exposure (p=0.04). Among women, there were also significant trends for cumulative and duration of exposure to asbestos and excesses in the highest exposure categories for formaldehyde.ConclusionsMost agents examined did not provoke excess risks of meningioma. The main finding from this study is that it is the first study to identify a statistical association between exposure to oil mists and meningioma. This may be a chance finding or could be due to confounding with iron exposure and further research is required to understand whether the relationship is causal.