title: Occupational exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and the risk of uveal melanoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the association between occupational exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals         (EDC) and the risk of uveal melanoma using international data of a case-control study from nine European         countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  After exclusion of proxy interviews, 280 cases and 3084 control subjects were included in the final         analysis. Information on possible exposure to EDC was derived from 27 job-specific questionnaires (JSQ), which         solicited detailed questions on occupational tasks. Relative risk estimates were based on the JSQ and potential         exposure to a group of endocrine-disrupting agents. We constructed several exposure scores, taking into account         intensity of exposure, use of personal protective equipment, and exposure duration. We calculated unconditional         logistic regression analyses, adjusting for country, age, sex, eye color and a history of ocular damage due to intense         ultraviolet (UV) exposure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall exposure prevalence to EDC was low reaching a maximum of 11% for heavy         metals with endocrine-disrupting properties. Although working in some industries was associated with increased melanoma         risk [such as dry cleaning: odds ratio (OR) 6.15, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.0-18.96 and working in the         glass manufacturing industry: OR 3.49, 95% CI 1.10-11.10], agent-specific risks were not elevated. The strongest         possible risk increase was observed for organic solvents with endocrine-disrupting properties (OR 1.31, 95% CI         0.78-2.21). Calculation of exposure scores did not indicate consistently elevated results with higher score         values. Sensitivity analyses did not alter these results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occupational exposure to EDC was not associated         with an increased risk for uveal melanoma.
authors.affiliation: BIPS-Institute for Epidemiology and Prevention Research GmbH, Achterstraße 30, Bremen, Germany. tbehren@gmx.net
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Behrens
authors.forename: Elsebeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lynge
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cree
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guénel
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Merletti
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morales-Suarez-Varela
authors.forename: Noemia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Afonso
authors.forename: Aivars
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stengrevics
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stang
authors.forename: Joëlle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Févotte
authors.forename: Svend
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sabroe
authors.forename: Agustin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Llopis-González
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gorini
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hardell
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ahrens
mesh_terms: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000139:chemically induced*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012307:Risk Factors; D014604:Uveal Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors