TY - JOUR T1 - Occupation and bladder cancer in a population-based case–control study in Northern New England JF - Occupational and Environmental Medicine JO - Occup Environ Med SP - 239 LP - 249 DO - 10.1136/oem.2009.052571 VL - 68 IS - 4 AU - Joanne S Colt AU - Margaret R Karagas AU - Molly Schwenn AU - Dalsu Baris AU - Alison Johnson AU - Patricia Stewart AU - Castine Verrill AU - Lee E Moore AU - Jay Lubin AU - Mary H Ward AU - Claudine Samanic AU - Nathaniel Rothman AU - Kenneth P Cantor AU - Laura E Beane Freeman AU - Alan Schned AU - Sai Cherala AU - Debra T Silverman Y1 - 2011/04/01 UR - http://oem.bmj.com/content/68/4/239.abstract N2 - Objectives We used data from a large, population-based case–control study in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont to examine relationships between occupation, industry and bladder cancer risk.Methods Lifetime occupational histories were obtained by personal interview from 1158 patients newly diagnosed with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder in 2001–2004, and from 1402 population controls. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate ORs and 95% CIs, adjusted for demographic factors, smoking and employment in other high-risk occupations.Results Male precision metalworkers and metalworking/plasticworking machine operators had significantly elevated risks and significant trends in risk with duration of employment (precision metalworkers: OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.4 to 3.4, ptrend=0.0065; metalworking/plasticworking machine operators: OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.6, ptrend=0.047). Other occupations/industries for which risk increased significantly with duration of employment included: for men, textile machine operators, mechanics/repairers, automobile mechanics, plumbers, computer systems analysts, information clerks, and landscape industry workers; for women, service occupations, health services, cleaning and building services, management-related occupations, electronic components manufacturing and transportation equipment manufacturing. Men reporting use of metalworking fluids (MWF) had a significantly elevated bladder cancer risk (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.5).Conclusions Our findings support the hypothesis that some component(s) of MWF may be carcinogenic to the bladder. Our results also corroborate many other previously reported associations between bladder cancer risk and various occupations. More detailed analyses using information from the study's job-specific questionnaires may help to identify MWF components that may be carcinogenic, and other bladder carcinogens associated with a variety of occupations. ER -