Research Article

Occupation and breast cancer risk among Shanghai women in a population-based cohort study

  1. Bu-Tian Ji MD, DrPH1,*,
  2. Aaron Blair PhD1,
  3. Xiao-Ou Shu MD, PhD2,
  4. Wong-Ho Chow PhD1,
  5. Michael Hauptmann PhD1,†,
  6. Mustafa Dosemeci PhD1,
  7. Gong Yang MD2,
  8. Jay Lubin PhD1,
  9. Yu-Tang Gao MD3,
  10. Nathaniel Rothman MD, PhD1,
  11. Wei Zheng MD, PhD2

Article first published online: 7 DEC 2007

DOI: 10.1002/ajim.20507

Issue

American Journal of Industrial Medicine

American Journal of Industrial Medicine

Volume 51, Issue 2, pages 100–110, February 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Ji, B.-T., Blair, A., Shu, X.-O., Chow, W.-H., Hauptmann, M., Dosemeci, M., Yang, G., Lubin, J., Gao, Y.-T., Rothman, N. and Zheng, W. (2008), Occupation and breast cancer risk among Shanghai women in a population-based cohort study. Am. J. Ind. Med., 51: 100–110. doi: 10.1002/ajim.20507

Author Information

  1. 1

    National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland

  2. 2

    Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

  3. 3

    Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China

  1. †

    Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

*National Cancer Institute, 6120 Executive Blvd., EPS 8104, MD 20852.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 10 JAN 2008
  2. Article first published online: 7 DEC 2007
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 3 JUL 2007

Funded by

  • National Institute of Health. Grant Number: R01 CA70867

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Keywords:

  • occupations;
  • breast cancer;
  • Shanghai women health study (SWHS);
  • Shanghai China

Abstract

Introduction

A total of 74,942 female subjects were recruited in a population-based cohort study in Shanghai, China between 1997 and 2000. We examined the relationship between occupation and breast cancer risk.

Methods

Cases were 586 women previously diagnosed with breast cancer at baseline and 438 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer during follow-up through December 2004. Eight controls were randomly selected for each case from cancer-free cohort members and frequency-matched to the cases by year of birth and age at diagnosis. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of breast cancer risk associated with occupations, adjusting for established breast cancer risk factors.

Results

In the prevalent breast cancer data analysis, increased risks of breast cancer were associated with technicians in engineering/agriculture/forestry (OR = 1.6, CI: 1.0–2.4), teaching personnel (OR = 1.5, CI:1.1–2.0), tailoring/sewing workers (OR = 1.6, CI:1.0–2.7), and examiners/measurers/testers (OR = 1.5, CI:1.1–2.1) among those who started the jobs at least 20 years ago. Among incident breast cancer cases, significantly increased risks were associated with medical/health care workers (OR = 1.4, CI:1.0–2.0), administrative clerical workers (OR = 1.5, CI:1.0–2.4), postal/telecommunication workers (OR = 2.2, CI:1.0–5.5), and odd-job workers (OR = 1.7, CI:1.1–2.8) among those who started the jobs at least 20 years ago. The excess risks were found in both prevalent and incident cases for postal/telecommunication workers and purchasing/marketing personnel, although ORs reached only marginal significance.

Conclusions:

This study suggests that white-collar professionals and several production occupations may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:100–110, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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