Occupational risk factors for endometrial cancer among textile workers in Shanghai, China.
OBJECTIVE
A case-cohort study was conducted to investigate associations between occupational exposures and endometrial cancer nested within a large cohort of textile workers in Shanghai, China.


METHODS
The study included 176 incident endometrial cancer cases diagnosed from 1989 to 1998 and a randomly-selected age-stratified reference subcohort (n = 3,061). Study subjects' complete work histories were linked to a job-exposure matrix developed specifically for the textile industry to assess occupational exposures. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using Cox proportional hazards modeling adapted for the case-cohort design, adjusting for age at menarche and a composite variable of gravidity and parity.


RESULTS
An increased risk of endometrial cancer was detected among women who had worked for > or =10 years in silk production (HR = 3.8, 95% CI 1.2-11.8) and had exposure to silk dust (HR = 1.7, 95% CI 0.9-3.4). Albeit with few exposed women (two cases and eight subcohort women), there was a 7.4-fold increased risk associated with > or =10 years of silica dust exposure (95% CI 1.4-39.7).


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that some textile industry exposures might play a role in endometrial carcinoma and should be further replicated in other occupational settings.
Wernli
Karen J
KJ
Program in Epidemiology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 9810, USA. kwernli@fhcrc.org
Ray
Roberta M
RM
Gao
Dao Li
DL
Fitzgibbons
E Dawn
ED
Camp
Janice E
JE
Astrakianakis
George
G
Seixas
Noah
N
Li
Wenjin
W
De Roos
Anneclaire J
AJ
Feng
Ziding
Z
Thomas
David B
DB
Checkoway
Harvey
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004391:Dust; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D047011:Silk; D013783:Textile Industry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D004391:Dust; D047011:Silk