STUDY OF ASSOCIATION BETWEEN OCCUPATION AND SKIN CANCER

Abstract

Two population-based case-control studies were carried out, started in August

1993 at Tanta Cancer Center in the middle of Delta, Egypt and Arizona Disease Prevention Center, Tuscon, Arizona statted between 1987 and 1992. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used in these studies to evaluate the most important risk factors of non-melanoma skin cancer with patticular attention to different occupational and environmental exposure. Tite total number of NMSC cases, in Egypt was 143, which included 75 BCC and 67 SCC. The total number of population controls was 147 individuals. The total number ofNMSC cases, in the USA was 804, which included 344 BCC and 460 SCC. The total number of population controls was 738 individuals. Statistical analysis was done on SCC and BCC separately in the Egypt and the USA studies. Analysis of Egypt data revealed that age, gender, eye color, suntan, presence of freckles on the body and number of hours of sun exposure per day after the age of 40 were not significantly associated with SCC or BCC, although some of these factors e.g. age, sunburn and number of hours of sun exposure per day after the age of 40 were positively associated as evidenced by crude ORs. Also, sunburn was not significantly associated with SCC or BCC as evidenced by adjusted ORs, although crude ORs were significantly associated. Moreover, skin color, number of hours of sun exposure per day before the age of 20 and UV exposure in the reported occupations were significantly associated with SCC and BCC as indicated by both crude and adjusted ORs.