Safety and Health at Work Vol. 14 Issue 2 2023
Firefighting and Cancer: A Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies in the Context of Cancer Hazard Identification (Review Article)
Dublin Core
Title
Safety and Health at Work Vol. 14 Issue 2 2023
Firefighting and Cancer: A Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies in the Context of Cancer Hazard Identification (Review Article)
Firefighting and Cancer: A Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies in the Context of Cancer Hazard Identification (Review Article)
Subject
Cancer, Firefighter, Hazard
Description
Objective: We performed a meta-analysis of epidemiological results for the association between occupational exposure as a firefighter and cancer as part of the broader evidence synthesis work of the IARC
Monographs program.
Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify cohort studies of firefighters followed for cancer incidence and mortality. Studies were evaluated for the influence of key biases on results. Random-effects meta-analysis models were used to estimate the association between ever-employment and duration of employment as afirefighter and risk of 12 selected cancers. Theimpact of biaswas exploredin sensitivity analyses.
Results: Among the 16 included cancer incidence studies, the estimated meta-rate ratio, 95% confidence interval (CI), and heterogeneity statistic (I2 ) for ever-employment as a career firefighter compared mostly to
general populations were 1.58 (1.14-2.20, 8%) for mesothelioma, 1.16 (1.08-1.26, 0%) for bladder cancer, 1.21 (1.12-1.32, 81%) for prostate cancer, 1.37 (1.03-1.82, 56%) for testicular cancer, 1.19 (1.07-1.32, 37%) for colon cancer, 1.36 (1.15-1.62, 83%) for melanoma, 1.12 (1.01-1.25, 0%) for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 1.28 (1.02-1.61, 40%) for thyroid cancer, and 1.09 (0.92-1.29, 55%) for kidney cancer. Ever-employment as a firefighter was not positively associated with lung, nervous system, or stomach cancer. Results for mesothelioma and bladder cancer exhibited low heterogeneity and were largely robust across sensitivity analyses.
Conclusions: There is epidemiological evidence to support a causal relationship between occupational exposure as a firefighter and certain cancers. Challenges persist in the body of evidence related to the
quality of exposure assessment, confounding, and medical surveillance bias.
Monographs program.
Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify cohort studies of firefighters followed for cancer incidence and mortality. Studies were evaluated for the influence of key biases on results. Random-effects meta-analysis models were used to estimate the association between ever-employment and duration of employment as afirefighter and risk of 12 selected cancers. Theimpact of biaswas exploredin sensitivity analyses.
Results: Among the 16 included cancer incidence studies, the estimated meta-rate ratio, 95% confidence interval (CI), and heterogeneity statistic (I2 ) for ever-employment as a career firefighter compared mostly to
general populations were 1.58 (1.14-2.20, 8%) for mesothelioma, 1.16 (1.08-1.26, 0%) for bladder cancer, 1.21 (1.12-1.32, 81%) for prostate cancer, 1.37 (1.03-1.82, 56%) for testicular cancer, 1.19 (1.07-1.32, 37%) for colon cancer, 1.36 (1.15-1.62, 83%) for melanoma, 1.12 (1.01-1.25, 0%) for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 1.28 (1.02-1.61, 40%) for thyroid cancer, and 1.09 (0.92-1.29, 55%) for kidney cancer. Ever-employment as a firefighter was not positively associated with lung, nervous system, or stomach cancer. Results for mesothelioma and bladder cancer exhibited low heterogeneity and were largely robust across sensitivity analyses.
Conclusions: There is epidemiological evidence to support a causal relationship between occupational exposure as a firefighter and certain cancers. Challenges persist in the body of evidence related to the
quality of exposure assessment, confounding, and medical surveillance bias.
Creator
Nathan L. DeBono, Robert D. Daniels, Laura E. Beane Freeman, Judith M. Graber , Johnni Hansen, Lauren R. Teras, Tim Driscoll, Kristina Kjaerheim ,Paul A. Demers, Deborah C. Glass , David Kriebel, Tracy L. Kirkham, Roland Wedekind , Adalberto M. Filho, Leslie Stayner, Mary K. Schubauer-Berigan
Publisher
Elsevier Korea LLC
Date
June 2023
Contributor
Sri Wahyuni
Format
PDF
Language
English
Type
Text
Coverage
Safety and Health at Work Vol. 14 Issue 2 2023
Files
Citation
Nathan L. DeBono, Robert D. Daniels, Laura E. Beane Freeman, Judith M. Graber , Johnni Hansen, Lauren R. Teras, Tim Driscoll, Kristina Kjaerheim ,Paul A. Demers, Deborah C. Glass , David Kriebel, Tracy L. Kirkham, Roland Wedekind , Adalberto M. Filho, Leslie Stayner, Mary K. Schubauer-Berigan, “Safety and Health at Work Vol. 14 Issue 2 2023
Firefighting and Cancer: A Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies in the Context of Cancer Hazard Identification (Review Article),” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed November 21, 2024, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2639.
Firefighting and Cancer: A Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies in the Context of Cancer Hazard Identification (Review Article),” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed November 21, 2024, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2639.