Certain Job Roles May Heighten the Risk of Developing Ovarian Cancer by More Than 80%, According to New Study

A case-control study published online in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine suggests that certain job roles, including hairdressers, beauticians, and accountants, may be associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer. The study also indicates that individuals working in sales, retail, clothing, and construction industries may be vulnerable. Furthermore, high cumulative exposure to specific agents like talcum powder, ammonia, propellant gases, petrol, and bleaches could play a significant role in increasing the risk.

The researchers note that only a few modifiable risk factors for ovarian cancer have been identified, and environmental factors, including those in the workplace, may contribute to the risk. However, there have been limited studies on the occupational hazards faced by women, and previous studies often fail to account for influential factors, consider employment history, or involve an adequate number of participants, which limits the findings.

To address these issues, the researchers conducted an exploratory analysis using lifetime employment history from a population-based case-control study. They included participants from the PRevention of OVArian Cancer in Quebec (PROVAQ) study, which comprised women aged 18–79 recruited from seven Montreal hospitals between 2010 and 2016 after being diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer. The study included 491 women with ovarian cancer and 897 women without ovarian cancer, who were matched for age and electoral roll district.

Participants provided information on their sociodemographic background, medical history, prescribed medications, reproductive history, weight and height, lifestyle factors, and lifetime employment history. For each job held for at least 6 months, participants reported the job title, start and end dates, working hours (including shift work), and main tasks performed. Cumulative length of employment in a job or industry was categorized as never, less than 10 years, or 10 or more years.

The researchers used the Canadian job-exposure matrix (CANJEM) to calculate participants’ exposure to specific agents in the workplace. They assessed the relationship between exposure to the 29 most common agents and the risk of ovarian cancer. After accounting for influential factors, the calculations revealed that several job roles were associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer.

Specifically, working for 10 or more years as a hairdresser, barber, beautician, or in related roles was associated with a three-fold higher risk. Employment for 10 or more years in accountancy was linked to a doubling in risk, while working in construction was associated with a nearly tripled risk. Long-term work in the clothing industry, including embroidery, was associated with an 85% heightened risk. Similarly, working in sales or retail was associated with increased risks of 45% and 59%, respectively.

The study also observed heightened risks of more than 40% for high cumulative exposure (8 or more years) to 18 different agents. These agents included talcum powder, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, hair dust, synthetic fibers, polyester fibers, organic dyes and pigments, cellulose, formaldehyde, propellant gases, naturally occurring chemicals in petrol, and bleaches.

Hairdressers, beauticians, and related workers were frequently exposed to 13 agents, including ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, organic dyes and pigments, and bleaches. They were also the second most frequent occupation exposed to talcum powder. However, it remains unclear whether these associations were driven by a single agent, a combination of agents, or other workplace factors, according to the researchers.

The researchers acknowledge that the numbers of women employed in certain occupations such as paper, printing, textile production, dry cleaning, and manufacturing, or those exposed to specific agents like asbestos and pesticides (previously reported as potential ovarian cancer risk factors), were small. They also note that some statistically significant associations observed may have been due to chance, considering the number of analyses performed. Therefore, further studies are needed to replicate the findings.

Nevertheless, the team conclude that their results suggest that certain occupations and specific occupational exposures may be linked to an increased risk of ovarian cancer. They highlight the need for improved research on women’s occupational risks and the inclusion of women in occupational cancer studies.

In a linked commentary, Drs. Melissa Friesen and Laura Beane Freeman from the US National Cancer Institute emphasize that this new study “reminds us that while the lack of representation of women in occupational cancer studies—and indeed, even potential strategies to address this issue—have been long recognized, there is still a need for improvement in studying women’s occupational risks.”

They also stress the importance of studying exposures occurring in occupations primarily held by women.

“By excluding women, we miss the opportunity to identify risk factors for female specific cancers, to evaluate whether sex-specific differences in risk occur, and to study exposures occurring in occupations held primarily by women,” write the authors.

Source: 10.1136/oemed-2022-108557

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