title: Occupational exposure to arsenic and risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer in a multinational European study.
abstract: Occupational studies show a high risk of lung cancer related to arsenic exposure by inhalation; however, only a few studies, and with conflicting results, previously examined a potential link between arsenic exposure at work and skin cancer. The aim of this study is to assess airborne arsenic exposures at the workplace and to quantify associations with nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). The study sample consists of 618 incident cases of NMSC and 527 hospital-based controls aged 30-79 years from Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Exposures were evaluated by local experts using occupational histories. Information on host factors and other exposures was collected and used to adjust the associations of interest using multivariable logistic regression. The lifetime prevalence of exposure to work-related arsenic is 23.9% for cases and 15.5% for controls. No significant association between arsenic exposure in the workplace and NMSC was detected, although an increased adjusted odd ratio was observed for participants with higher cumulative lifetime workplace exposure to arsenic in dust and fumes compared to referents [odds ratios (OR) = 1.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.76-4.95]. There is evidence for modification of the workplace arsenic-NMSC association by work-related sunlight exposure in women, with a markedly increased adjusted OR in the presence of workplace sunlight exposure (OR = 10.22, 95% CI = 2.48-42.07). Workplace coexposure to arsenic and sunlight may thus pose an increased risk of NMSC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA. ssurdu@albany.edu
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Surdu
authors.forename: Edward F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bloom
authors.forename: Francis P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Boscoe
authors.forename: David O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Haase
authors.forename: Eugen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gurzau
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rudnai
authors.forename: Kvetoslava
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koppova
authors.forename: Joëlle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Févotte
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vahter
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Goessler
authors.forename: Rajiv
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001151:Arsenic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000209:etiology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D001151:Arsenic
keywords: arsenic exposure; basal cell carcinoma; nonmelanoma skin cancer; occupational exposure; squamous cell carcinoma