Abstract
To examine occupational risk factors of bladder cancer, a hospital-based case-control study was carried out on incident cases in the province of Lecco between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1995. The study involved 146 subjects with bladder cancer and 187 controls with non-neoplastic diseases. Sociodemographic characteristics, smoking and drinking habits, lifetime occupational history and exposure to a set of 18 occupational substances suspected as carcinogenic for urinary bladder epithelium were recorded by means of a structured questionnaire. Chi square and logistic regression methods were used for the analysis. Significantly increased risks were found in workers assigned to machinery manufacture (OR=2.2), white-collar workers (OR=1.9) and traders (OR=3.8). Higher risks were seen in men occupationally exposed to aluminium, dyes and paints or varnishes, flour, diesel or traffic fumes and mineral oils. In conclusion, occupational exposure seems to contribute to bladder cancer risk in the area under study.
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