Occupational variation in the incidence of lip cancer in the Nordic countries

Authors

  • Rayan Mroueh a Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, HUS Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; b Finnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer and Research, Helsinki, Finland;c Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
  • Timo Carpén a Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, HUS Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; c Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland;d Department of Pathology, HUS Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
  • Antti Mäkitie a Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, HUS Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; c Research Program in Systems Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; e Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Division of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
  • Johnni Hansen f Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Sanna Heikkinen b Finnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer and Research, Helsinki, Finland
  • Elsebeth Lynge g Nykøbing Falster Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Nykøbing Falster, Denmark
  • Jan Ivar Martinsen h Department of Research, Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway
  • Jenny Selander i Institute of Environmental Medicine, IMM Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
  • Ingrid Sivesind Mehlum j National Institute of Occupational Health (STAMI), Oslo, Norway; k Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
  • Jóhanna Eyrún Torfadottir l Icelandic Cancer Registry, Reykjavik, Iceland;m Centre of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
  • Tuula Salo n Cancer and Translational Medicine Unit, Medical Research Unit, Oulu University Hospital, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; o Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
  • Eero Pukkala b Finnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer and Research, Helsinki, Finland;p Health Sciences Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1080/0284186X.2023.2224053

Keywords:

Head and neck cancer, oral cancer, incidence, lip cancer, occupational risk, risk

Abstract

Introduction

While certain occupations, such as agriculture and fishery, have been associated with an increased risk of lip cancer, the occupational risk profile of lip cancer and its change over time remain poorly known. This study aims to evaluate the incidence of lip cancer across different occupations in the Nordic countries.

Methods

The Nordic Occupational Cancer Study (NOCCA) covers 14.9 million people and includes 45 years of cancer incidence data, from 1961 to 2005, linked to occupational categories for all the five Nordic populations. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to quantify the risk of lip cancer across occupational categories relative to the entire national populations.

Results

There were a total of 14,477 male and 3008 female lip cancer patients identified during follow up. The highest SIRs were observed among male fishermen (SIR 2.26, 95% CI: 2.04–2.50), gardeners (SIR 1.60, 95% CI: 1.48–1.72), and farmers (SIR 1.60, 95% CI: 1.55–1.66). A significantly reduced risk of lip cancer (SIR < 0.50) was observed among male physicians, teachers, religious workers, artistic workers, journalists, administrators, printers, waiters, and hairdressers. Among women, no occupations were associated with an increased risk of lip cancer.

Conclusions

The incidence of lip cancer varies widely between outdoor and indoor occupations. Occupations involving outdoor activity and exposure to sunlight show the most elevated SIRs.

Novelty and impact

Certain outdoor occupations, such as agriculture and fishery, have been associated with an increased risk of lip cancer. However, the occupational risk profile of lip cancer and its change over time remain poorly known. This study highlights the excess risk of lip cancer among men with outdoor occupations and further corroborates previous studies. Efforts to counsel outdoor workers on the risk and prevention of lip cancer are needed to reduce the societal burden of the disease.

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Published

2023-06-03

How to Cite

Mroueh, R., Carpén, T., Mäkitie, A., Hansen, J., Heikkinen, S., Lynge, E., … Pukkala, E. (2023). Occupational variation in the incidence of lip cancer in the Nordic countries. Acta Oncologica, 62(6), 541–549. https://doi.org/10.1080/0284186X.2023.2224053

Issue

Vol. 62 No. 6 (2023): Acta Oncologica

Section

Articles