TY - JOUR T1 - Occupational exposure to organic solvents and risk of male breast cancer: a European multicenter case-control study JO - Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health PY - 2018/5VL - 44 IS - 3 SP - 310 EP - 322 AU - Laouali, Nasser AU - Pilorget, Corinne AU - Cyr, Diane AU - Neri, Monica AU - Kaerlev, Linda AU - Sabroe, Svend AU - Gorini, Giuseppe AU - Richiardi, Lorenzo AU - Morales-Suárez-Varela, Maria AU - Llopis-Gonzalez, Agustin AU - Ahrens, Wolfgang AU - Jöckel, Karl-Heinz AU - Afonso, Noemia AU - Eriksson, Mikael AU - Merletti, Franco AU - Olsen, Jørn AU - Lynge, Elsebeth AU - Guénel, Pascal M3 - doi: 10.5271/sjweh.3717 UR - https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3717 KW - alcoholic solvent KW - benzene KW - breast cancer KW - case-control study KW - case-control study KW - chlorinated solvent KW - ethylene glycol KW - European KW - JEM KW - job-exposure matrix KW - male breast cancer KW - multicenter case-control study KW - occupational exposure KW - organic solvent KW - petroleum solvent KW - trichloroethylene N2 - '

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OBJECTIVES ': 'The etiology of male breast cancer (MBC) is largely unknown but a causal role of exposure to organic solvents has been suggested. Previous studies on occupational risk factors of breast cancer were often restricted to women who are frequently exposed to lower levels and at a lower frequency than men. We investigated the association between MBC and occupational exposure to petroleum and oxygenated and chlorinated solvents in a multicenter case-control study of rare cancers in Europe.

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METHODS ': 'The study included 104 MBC cases and 1901 controls. Detailed lifetime work history was obtained during interviews, together with sociodemographic characteristics, medical history and lifestyle factors. Occupational exposures to solvents were estimated from a job-exposure matrix. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using unconditional logistic regression models.

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RESULTS ': 'Lifetime cumulative exposure to trichloroethylene >23.9 ppm years was associated with an increased MBC risk, compared to non-exposure [OR (95% CI): 2.1 (1.2–4.0); P trend <0.01). This increase in risk persisted when only exposures that occurred ≥10 years before diagnosis were considered. In addition, a possible role for benzene and ethylene glycol in MBC risk was suggested, but no exposure-response trend was observed.

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CONCLUSIONS ': 'These findings add to the evidence of an increased risk of breast cancer among men professionally exposed to trichloroethylene and possibly to benzene or ethylene glycol. Further studies should be conducted in populations with high level of exposure to confirm our results.

SN - 0355-3140 ER -