Publication related to RSI or an RSI staff member
Interactions between occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields and chemicals for brain tumour risk in the INTEROCC study.
OBJECTIVES: In absence of clear evidence regarding possible effects of occupational chemical exposures on brain tumour aetiology, it is worthwhile to explore the hypothesis that such exposures might act on brain tumour risk in interaction with occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF). METHODS: INTEROCC is a seven-country (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, New Zealand and UK), population-based, case-control study, based on the larger INTERPHONE study. Incident cases of primary glioma and meningioma were ascertained from 2000 to 2004. Job titles were coded into standard international occupational classifications and estimates of ELF and chemical exposures were assigned based on job-exposure matrices. Dichotomous indicators of cumulative ELF (>/=50th vs <50th percentile, 1-4 year exposure time window) and chemical exposures (ever vs never, 5-year lag) were created. Interaction was assessed on both the additive and multiplicative scales. RESULTS: A total of 1939 glioma cases, 1822 meningioma cases and 5404 controls were included in the analysis, using conditional logistic regression. There was no clear evidence for interactions between ELF and any of the chemical exposures assessed for either glioma or meningioma risk. For glioma, subjects in the low ELF/metal exposed group had a lower risk than would be predicted from marginal effects. Results were similar according to different exposure time windows, to cut-points of exposure or in exposed-only analyses. CONCLUSIONS: There was no clear evidence for interactions between occupational ELF and chemical exposures in relation to glioma or meningioma risk observed. Further research with more refined estimates of occupational exposures is recommended.
Authors
- Turner, Michelle C, Turner MC, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.; McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
- Benke, Geza, Benke G, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
- Bowman, Joseph D, Bowman JD, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
- Figuerola, Jordi, Figuerola J, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
- Fleming, Sarah, Fleming S, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
- Hours, Martine, Hours M, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1/IFSTTAR, Unité Mixte de Recherche Epidémiologique Transport Travail Environnment, Lyon, France.
- Kincl, Laurel, Kincl L, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
- Krewski, Daniel, Krewski D, McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.; School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Disease Prevention, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
- McLean, Dave, McLean D, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand.
- Parent, Marie-Elise, Parent ME, INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Université du Québec, Laval, Canada.
- Richardson, Lesley, Richardson L, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Canada.
- Sadetzki, Siegal, Sadetzki S, The Cancer & Radiation Epidemiology Unit, The Gertner Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel.; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Schlaefer, Klaus, Schlaefer K, Unit of Environmental Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Schlehofer, Brigitte, Schlehofer B, Unit of Environmental Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Schuz, Joachim, Schuz J, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Section of Environment and Radiation, Lyon, France.
- Siemiatycki, Jack, Siemiatycki J, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Canada.
- Tongeren, Martie van, Tongeren MV, Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh, UK.
- Cardis, Elisabeth, Cardis E, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
OBJECTIVES: In absence of clear evidence regarding possible effects of occupational chemical exposures on brain tumour aetiology, it is worthwhile to explore the hypothesis that such exposures might act on brain tumour risk in interaction with occupational exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF). METHODS: INTEROCC is a seven-country (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, New Zealand and UK), population-based, case-control study, based on the larger INTERPHONE study. Incident cases of primary glioma and meningioma were ascertained from 2000 to 2004. Job titles were coded into standard international occupational classifications and estimates of ELF and chemical exposures were assigned based on job-exposure matrices. Dichotomous indicators of cumulative ELF (>/=50th vs <50th percentile, 1-4 year exposure time window) and chemical exposures (ever vs never, 5-year lag) were created. Interaction was assessed on both the additive and multiplicative scales. RESULTS: A total of 1939 glioma cases, 1822 meningioma cases and 5404 controls were included in the analysis, using conditional logistic regression. There was no clear evidence for interactions between ELF and any of the chemical exposures assessed for either glioma or meningioma risk. For glioma, subjects in the low ELF/metal exposed group had a lower risk than would be predicted from marginal effects. Results were similar according to different exposure time windows, to cut-points of exposure or in exposed-only analyses. CONCLUSIONS: There was no clear evidence for interactions between occupational ELF and chemical exposures in relation to glioma or meningioma risk observed. Further research with more refined estimates of occupational exposures is recommended.
