Occupation and relative risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC): A 45-year follow-up study in 4 Nordic countries.
BACKGROUND
The age-adjusted incidence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in the Nordic countries has increased during the last 60 years, and the identification of occupational variation in the relative risk of cSCC may have preventive implications.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to describe variation in the relative risk of cSCC between occupational categories in Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.


METHODS
This is a historical prospective cohort study based on record linkages between census data for 12.9 million people and cancer registry data from 1961 to 2005. Standardized incidence ratios for cSCC were estimated for 53 occupational categories with the cSCC incidence rates for the national population of each country used as reference.


RESULTS
During follow-up, 87,619 incident cases of cSCC were reported to the national cancer registries. In all countries combined, significant increased standardized incidence ratios were observed among seamen, military personnel, public safety workers, technical workers, teachers, transport workers, physicians, dentists, nurses, other health workers, religious workers, clerical workers, administrators, and sale agents (standardized incidence ratios between 1.08 and 1.77).


CONCLUSIONS
Information on occupation was based on 1 point in time only.


CONCLUSIONS
The occupational variation of the relative risk of cSCC might be associated with socioeconomic factors, and to some extent to occupational exposures.
Department of Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: jose.alfonso@stami.no.
Jose Hernán
JH
Alfonso
Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway.
Jan Ivar
JI
Martinsen
Finnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer Research, Helsinki, Finland; School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
Eero
E
Pukkala
Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø-Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway; Genetic Epidemiology Group, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.
Elisabete
E
Weiderpass
Icelandic Cancer Registry, Icelandic Cancer Society, Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Laufey
L
Tryggvadottir
Department of Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway.
Karl-Christian
KC
Nordby
Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway.
Kristina
K
Kjærheim
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016272:Occupational Health; D009790:Occupations; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
cohort; cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma; epidemiology; general population; occupation; relative risk; socioeconomic position