|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|
|
A Canadian Case–Control Study
a Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW), Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6A 3B6 b University of Stirling, Stirling UK FK9 4LA c University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4 d University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 3K7 e Prince Edward Island Cancer Treatment Centre, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada CIA 8T5 f Windsor Regional Cancer Centre, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N8W ZX3 g University of York, York, UK YO10 5DD
Key Words: breast cancer • occupation • environment • farming • Canada
Address for correspondence: James T. Brophy, Ph.D., 171 Kendall, Point Edward, Ontario, Canada N7V 4G6. Voice: 519-337-4627; fax: 519-337-9442. e-mail: jbrophy{at}ohcow.on.ca
A local collaborative process was launched in Windsor, Ontario, Canada to explore the role of occupation as a risk factor for cancer. An initial hypothesis-generating study found an increased risk for breast cancer among women aged 55 years or younger who had ever worked in farming. On the basis of this result, a 2-year case–control study was undertaken to evaluate the lifetime occupational histories of women with breast cancer. The results indicate that women with breast cancer were nearly three times more likely to have worked in agriculture when compared to the controls (OR = 2.80 [95% CI, 1.6–4.8]). The risk for those who worked in agriculture and subsequently worked in automotive-related manufacturing was further elevated (OR = 4.0 [95% CI, 1.7–9.9]). The risk for those employed in agriculture and subsequently employed in health care was also elevated (OR = 2.3 [95% CI, 1.1–4.6]). Farming tended to be among the earlier jobs worked, often during adolescence. While this article has limitations including the small sample size and the lack of information regarding specific exposures, it does provide evidence of a possible association between farming and breast cancer. The findings indicate the need for further study to determine which aspects of farming may be of biological importance and to better understand the significance of timing of exposure in terms of cancer risk.
|
 |
 |
