Review Article
An Updated Review of the Literature: Risk Factors for Bladder Cancer with Focus on Occupational Exposures
Abstract
Workplace exposures account for 5 to 25% of all bladder cancer cases. A critical review of the literature between 1938 and 2004 was performed, with a focus on occupational exposures. Occupational exposure to bladder carcinogens, particularly to β-naphthylamine occur in a number of industries, including aromatic amine manufacture, rubber and cable manufacture, and dyestuff manufacture and use. Risks to workers in a number of new occupations and industries are reviewed. Nonoccupational risk factors that are known or at one time have been thought to increase the risk of bladder cancer are also discussed.
Key Points
* Workplace exposures account for 5 to 25% of all bladder cancer cases.
* The epidemiological research of occupational bladder cancer is complicated by a number of issues, including lack of adequate smoking history, lack of information on other nonoccupational risk factors, and lack of industrial hygiene data.
* In selected plastics manufacturing sectors, opportunities for potential exposure to establish bladder carcinogens have been described, but details regarding the greatest at-risk worker groups are lacking.
* With over 800,000 persons employed in plastics materials and miscellaneous plastics products in the United States in 2001, further investigation into the effects of occupational exposure to carcinogens in the plastics industry is warranted.
This content is limited to qualifying members.
Existing members, please login first
If you have an existing account please login now to access this article or view purchase options.
Purchase only this article ($25)
Create a free account, then purchase this article to download or access it online for 24 hours.
Purchase an SMJ online subscription ($75)
Create a free account, then purchase a subscription to get complete access to all articles for a full year.
Purchase a membership plan (fees vary)
Premium members can access all articles plus recieve many more benefits. View all membership plans and benefit packages.
References
1. Yu MC, Skipper PL, Tannenbaum SR, et al. Arylamine exposures and bladder cancer risk. Mutat Res2002;506–507:21–28.
2. National Cancer Institute. What you need to know about bladder cancer, NIH Publication No. 01-1559. Bethesda, National Cancer Institute, 2001.
3. Pashos CL, Botteman MF, Laskin BL, et al. Bladder cancer: epidemiology, diagnosis, and management. Cancer Pract 2002;10:311–322.
4. Tola S. Occupational cancer of the urinary bladder. J Toxicol Environ Health 1980;6:1253–1260.
5. Kryger JV, Messing E. Bladder cancer screening. Semin Oncol 1996;23:585–597.
6. Matanoski GM, Elliott EA. Bladder cancer epidemiology. Epidemiol Rev 1981;3:203–229.
7. Checkoway H, Smith AH, McMichael AJ, et al. A case-control study of bladder cancer in the United States rubber and tyre industry. Brit J Ind Med 1981;38:240–246.
8. Marsh GM, Cassidy LD. The Drake Health Registry Study: findings from fifteen years of continuous bladder cancer screening. Am J Ind Med 2003;43:142–148.
9. Brennan P, Bogillot O, Cordier S, et al. Cigarette smoking and bladder cancer in men: a pooled analysis of 11 case-control studies. Int J Cancer 2000;86:289–294.
10. Negri E, La Vecchia C. Epidemiology and prevention of bladder cancer. Eur J Cancer Prev2001;10:7–14.
11. Cassidy LD, Youk AO, Marsh GM. The Drake Health Registry Study: cause-specific mortality experience of workers potentially exposed to beta-naphthylamine. Am J Ind Med 2003;44:282–290.
12. Cordier S, Clavel J, Limasset JC, et al. Occupational risks of bladder cancer in France: a multicentre case-control study. Am J Epidemiol 1993;22:403–411.
13. Pelucchi C, La Vecchia C, Negri E, et al. Smoking and other risk factors for bladder cancer in women. Prev Med 2002;35:114–20.
14. Zeegers MP, Swaen GM, Kant I, et al. Occupational risk factors for male bladder cancer: results from a population based case cohort study in the Netherlands. Occup Environ Med 2001;58:590–596.
15. Schulz MR, Loomis D. Occupational bladder cancer mortality among racial and ethnic minorities in 21 states. Am J Ind Med 2000;38:90–98.
16. U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2002 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report Version. Atlanta: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2005. Available at:http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/npcr/uscs/. Accessed November 3, 2006.
17. Miyakawa M, Tachibana M, Miyakawa A, et al. Re-evaluation of the latent period of bladder cancer in dyestuff-plant workers in Japan. Int J Urol 2001;8:423–430.
18. Golka K, Prior V, Blaszkewicz M, Bolt HM. The enhanced bladder cancer susceptibility of NAT2 slow acetylators towards aromatic amines: a review considering ethnic differences. Toxicol Lett2002;128:229–241.
19. Vineis P, Pirastu R. Aromatic amines and cancer. Cancer Causes Control 1997;8:346–355.
20. Bi W, Hayes RB, Feng P, et al. Mortality and incidence of bladder cancer in benzidine-exposed workers in China. Am J Ind Med 1992;21:481–489.
21. Cartwright RA, Gadian T, Garland JB, et al. The influence of malignant cell cytology screening on the survival of industrial bladder cancer cases. J Epidemiol Community Health 1981;35:35–38.
22. Goldgar DE, Easton DF, Cannon-Albright LA, Skolnick MH. Systematic population-based assessment of cancer risk in first-degree relatives of cancer probands. J Natl Cancer Inst1994;86:1600–1608.
23. Kantor AF, Hartage P, Hoover RN, et al. Familial and environmental interactions in bladder cancer risk. Int J Cancer 1985;35:703–706.
24. Michaud DS, Spiegelman D, Clinton SK, et al. Fluid intake and the risk of bladder cancer in men.New Engl J Med 1999;340:1390–1397.
25. Clayson DB. Occupational bladder cancer. Prev Med 1976;5:228–244.
26. Hoover RN, Strasser PH. Artificial sweeteners and human bladder cancer. Preliminary results.Lancet 1980;1:837–840.
27. Gago-Dominquez M, Castelao JE, Yuan J, et al. Use of permanent hair dyes and bladder-cancer risk. Int J Cancer 2001;91:575–579.
28. Kogevinas M, Mannetje A, Cordier S, et al. Occupation and bladder cancer among men in Western Europe. Cancer Causes Control 2003;14:907–914.
29. Alexander BH, Olsen GW, Burris JM, et al. Mortality of employees of a perfluorooctanesulphonyl fluoride manufacturing facility. Occup Environ Med 2003;60:722–729.
30. Schoenberg JB, Stemhagen A, Mogielnicki AP, et al. Case-control study of bladder cancer in New Jersey. I. Occupational exposures in white males. J Natl Cancer Inst 1984;72: 973–981.
31. Doll R, Peto R. The causes of cancer: quantitative estimates of avoidable risks of cancer in the United States today. J Natl Cancer Inst 1981;66:1191–1308.
32. Harvard Report on Cancer Prevention. Volume 1: Causes of human cancer. Cancer Causes Control1996;7 (Suppl 1):S3–S59.
33. Steineck G, Plato N, Norell SE, et al. Urothelial cancer and some industry-related chemicals: an evaluation of the epidemiologic literature. Am J Ind Med 1990;17:371–391.
34. Bulbulyan MA, Figgs LW, Zahm SH, et al. Cancer incidence and mortality among beta-naphthylamine and benzidine dye workers in Moscow. Int J Epidemiol 1995;24:266–275.
35. Case RA, Hosker ME, McDonald DB, et al. Tumours of the urinary bladder in workmen engaged in the manufacture and use of certain dyestuff intermediates in the British chemical industry. I. The role of aniline, benzidine, alpha-naphthylamine, and beta-naphthylamine. Br J Ind Med 1954;11:75–104.
36. Fox AJ, Collier PF. A survey of occupational cancer in the rubber and cablemaking industries: analysis of deaths occurring in 1972-74. Br J Ind Med 1976;33:249–264.
37. McMichael AJ, Andjelkovic DA, Tyroler HA. Cancer mortality among rubber workers: an epidemiologic study. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1976;271:125–137.
38. Stern FB, Murthy LI, Beaumont JJ, et al. Notification and risk assessment for bladder cancer of a cohort exposed to aromatic amines. III. Mortality among workers exposed to aromatic amines in the last beta-naphthylamine manufacturing facility in the United States. J Occup Med 1985;27:495–500.
39. Verma DK, Purdham JT, Roels HA. Translating evidence about occupational conditions into strategies for prevention. Occup Environ Med 2002;59:205–213; quiz 214.
40. Yamaguchi N, Tazaki H, Okubo T, Toyama T. Periodic urine cytology surveillance of bladder tumor incidence in dyestuff workers. Am J Ind Med 1982;3:139–148.
41. Axtell CD, Ward EM, McCabe GP, et al. Underlying and multiple cause mortality in a cohort of workers exposed to aromatic amines. Am J Ind Med 1998;34:506–511.
42. Monson RR, Christiani DC. Summary of the evidence: Occupation and environment and cancer.Cancer Causes Control 1997;8:529–531.
43. Monson RR, Fine LJ. Cancer mortality and morbidity among rubber workers. J Natl Cancer Inst1978;61:1047–1053.
44. Hoover R, Cole P. Temporal aspects of occupational bladder carcinogenesis. New Engl J Med1973;288:1040–1043.
45. Huepner WC, Wiley FH, Wolfe HD. Experimental production of bladder tumours in dogs by administration of beta-naphthylamine. J Ind Hyg Toxicol 1938;20:46–84.
46. Radomski JL, Krischer C, Krischer KN. Histologic and histochemical preneoplastic changes in the bladder mucosae of dogs given 2-naphthylamine. J Natl Cancer Inst 1978;60:327–333.
47. Clavel J, Mandereau L, Limasset J, Hemon D, Cordier S. Occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the risk of bladder cancer: a French case-control study. Int J Epidemiol1994;23:1145–1153.
48. Gaertner RR, Thériault GP. Risk of bladder cancer in foundry workers: a meta-analysis. Occup Environ Med 2002;59:655–663.
49. Coggon D, Pannett B, Acheson ED. Use of job-exposure matrix in an occupational analysis of lung and bladder cancers on the basis of death certificates. J Natl Cancer Inst 1984;72:61–65.
50. Naito S, Tanaka K, Koga H, et al. Cancer occurrence among dyestuff workers exposed to aromatic amines. A long term follow-up study. Cancer 1995;76:1445–1452.
51. Sorahan T, Parkes H, Veys C, et al. Mortality in the British rubber industry 1946-85. Br J Ind Med1989;46:1–10.
52. Veys CA. Bladder tumours in rubber workers: a factory study 1946-1995. Occup Med (Lond)2004;54:322–329.
53. Boffetta P, Silverman DT. A meta-analysis of bladder cancer and diesel exhaust exposure.Epidemiology 2001;12:125–130.
54. Baxter PJ, McDowall ME. Occupation and cancer in London: an investigation into nasal and bladder cancer using the Cancer Atlas. Br J Ind Med 1986;43:44–49.
55. Silverman DT, Hoover RN, Albert S, et al. Occupation and cancer of the lower urinary tract in Detroit.J Nat Cancer Inst 1983;70:237–245.
56. Frumin E, Velez H, Bingham E, et al. Occupational bladder cancer in textile dyeing and printing workers: six cases and their significance for screening programs. J Occup Med 1990;32:887–890.
57. Siemiatycki J, Dewar E, Nadon L, et al. Occupational risk factors for bladder cancer: results from a case-control study in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Am J Epidemiol 1995;140:1061–1080.
58. Sathiakumar N, Delzell E, Rodu B,. Cancer incidence among employees at a petrochemical research facility. J Occup Environ Med 2001;43:166–174.
59. Zheng T, Cantor KP, Zhang Y, et al. Occupation and bladder cancer: a population-based, case-control study in Iowa. J Occup Environ Med 2002;44:685–691.
60. Colt JS, Baris D, Stewart P, et al. Occupation and bladder cancer risk in a population-based case-control study in New Hampshire. Cancer Causes Control 2004;15:759–769.
61. Felknor SA, Delclos GL, Lerner SP, et al. Bladder cancer screening program for a petrochemical cohort with potential exposure to beta-napthylamine. J Occup Environ Med 2003;45:289–294.
62. Cowles SR, Tsai SP, Gilstrap EL, et al. Mortality among employees at a plastics and resins research and development facility. Occup Environ Med 1994;51:799–803.
63. United States Bureau of Labour Statistics. Available at: http://www.bls.gov/oes/2001/oessrci.htm. Accessed June 29, 2005.
