TY - JOUR
T1 - Exposure to benzene and other hydrocarbons and risk of bladder cancer among male offshore petroleum workers
AU - Shala, Nita K.
AU - Stenehjem, Jo S.
AU - Babigumira, Ronnie
AU - Liu, Fei Chih
AU - Berge, Leon A.M.
AU - Silverman, Debra T.
AU - Friesen, Melissa C.
AU - Rothman, Nathaniel
AU - Lan, Qing
AU - Hosgood, H. Dean
AU - Samuelsen, Sven O.
AU - Bråtveit, Magne
AU - Kirkeleit, Jorunn
AU - Andreassen, Bettina K.
AU - Veierød, Marit B.
AU - Grimsrud, Tom K.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/9/21
Y1 - 2023/9/21
N2 - Background: Occupational exposures constitute the second leading cause of urinary bladder cancer after tobacco smoking. Increased risks have been found in the petroleum industry, but high-quality exposure data are needed to explain these observations. Methods: Using a prospective case-cohort design, we analysed 189 bladder cancer cases (1999–2017) and 2065 randomly drawn non-cases from the Norwegian Offshore Petroleum Workers cohort. Cases were identified in the Cancer Registry of Norway, while work histories (1965–1998) and lifestyle factors were recorded by questionnaire at baseline (1998). Occupational petroleum-related hydrocarbon exposures were assessed by expert-developed job-exposure matrices. Hazard ratios were estimated by weighted Cox-regressions, adjusted for age, tobacco smoking, education, and year of first employment, and with lagged exposures. Results: Increased risks were found in benzene-exposed workers, either long-term exposure (≥18.8 years, HR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.14–3.13; p-trend = 0.044) or high-level cumulative benzene exposure (HR = 1.60, 95% CI: 0.97–2.63; p-trend = 0.065), compared with the unexposed. Associations persisted with 20-year exposure lag. No associations were found with skin or inhalation exposure to crude oil, mineral oil (lubrication, hydraulics, turbines, drilling), or diesel exhaust. Conclusions: The results suggest that exposures in the benzene fraction of the petroleum stream may be associated with increased bladder cancer risk.
AB - Background: Occupational exposures constitute the second leading cause of urinary bladder cancer after tobacco smoking. Increased risks have been found in the petroleum industry, but high-quality exposure data are needed to explain these observations. Methods: Using a prospective case-cohort design, we analysed 189 bladder cancer cases (1999–2017) and 2065 randomly drawn non-cases from the Norwegian Offshore Petroleum Workers cohort. Cases were identified in the Cancer Registry of Norway, while work histories (1965–1998) and lifestyle factors were recorded by questionnaire at baseline (1998). Occupational petroleum-related hydrocarbon exposures were assessed by expert-developed job-exposure matrices. Hazard ratios were estimated by weighted Cox-regressions, adjusted for age, tobacco smoking, education, and year of first employment, and with lagged exposures. Results: Increased risks were found in benzene-exposed workers, either long-term exposure (≥18.8 years, HR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.14–3.13; p-trend = 0.044) or high-level cumulative benzene exposure (HR = 1.60, 95% CI: 0.97–2.63; p-trend = 0.065), compared with the unexposed. Associations persisted with 20-year exposure lag. No associations were found with skin or inhalation exposure to crude oil, mineral oil (lubrication, hydraulics, turbines, drilling), or diesel exhaust. Conclusions: The results suggest that exposures in the benzene fraction of the petroleum stream may be associated with increased bladder cancer risk.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41416-023-02357-0
DO - 10.1038/s41416-023-02357-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 37464024
AN - SCOPUS:85165087580
SN - 0007-0920
VL - 129
SP - 838
EP - 851
JO - British Journal of Cancer
JF - British Journal of Cancer
IS - 5
ER -