Cutaneous melanoma in Swedish women: Occupational risks by anatomic site.
BACKGROUND
Few occupational studies have addressed melanoma in women. Accordingly, our aim was to identify occupations with higher risk of cutaneous melanoma, overall and by site, in Swedish female workers.


METHODS
All gainfully employed Swedish women were followed-up from 1971 to 1989, using Death/Cancer Registers. Occupational risk ratios adjusted for age, period, town size, and geographic zone were computed for each site. Risk patterns for different sites were then compared.


RESULTS
High risks were observed among educators, bank tellers, dental nurses, librarians/archivists/curators, horticultural workers, and hatmakers/milliners. Telephone operators and textile workers had increased risk, mainly in the leg. Other occupation-specific site excesses were also found. Upper-limb risks were correlated with head/neck and thorax, though these two sites were not associated. Legs registered a special pattern, with a moderate correlation with upper limbs or thorax, and no correlation with head/neck.


CONCLUSIONS
Some occupations with possible exposure to arsenic/mercury displayed increased risk. The generalized excess risk among hatmakers/milliners warrants further attention. The weak correlation between legs and other sites suggests site specificity in melanoma risk factors.
Pérez-Gómez
Beatriz
B
Cancer and Environmental Epidemiology Section, National Center for Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.
Aragonés
Nuria
N
Gustavsson
Per
P
Plato
Nils
N
López-Abente
Gonzalo
G
Pollán
Marina
M
D000328:Adult; D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008628:Mercury / Q000633:toxicity; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D008628:Mercury; D001151:Arsenic