Cancer incidence among waiters: 45 years of follow-up in five Nordic countries

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cancer incidence among waiters

T2 - 45 years of follow-up in five Nordic countries

AU - Reijula, Jere

AU - Kjaerheim, Kristina

AU - Lynge, Elsebeth

AU - Martinsen, Jan I

AU - Reijula, Kari

AU - Sparén, Pär

AU - Tryggvadottir, Laufey

AU - Weiderpass, Elisabete

AU - Pukkala, Eero

N1 - © 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

PY - 2015/3

Y1 - 2015/3

N2 - AIMS: To study cancer risk patterns among waiters in the Nordic countries.METHODS: We identified a cohort of 16,134 male and 81,838 female waiters from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. During the follow-up period from 1961 to 2005, we found that 19,388 incident cancer cases were diagnosed. Standardised incidence ratio (SIR) was defined as the observed number of cancer cases divided by the expected number, based on national age, time period and gender-specific cancer incidence rates in the general population.RESULTS: The SIR of all cancers in waiters, in the five countries combined, was 1.46 (95% CI 1.41-1.51) in men and 1.09 (1.07-1.11) in women. In male waiters, the SIR decreased from 1.79 (1.63-1.96) in 1961-1975, to 1.33 (1.26-1.40) in 1991-2005, but remained stable among women. The SIR among male waiters was highest for cancers in the pharynx (6.11; 95% CI 5.02-7.37), oral cavity (4.91; 95% CI 3.81-6.24) and tongue (4.36; 95% CI 3.13-5.92); and in female waiters, in the larynx (2.17; 95% CI 1.63-2.82), oral cavity (1.96; 95% CI 1.60-2.34) and lung (1.89; 95% CI 1.80-1.99). CONCLUSIONS: THE RISK OF CANCER AMONG WAITERS WAS HIGHER THAN IN THE GENERAL POPULATION THE ELEVATED INCIDENCE IN SOME CANCER SITES CAN LIKELY BE EXPLAINED BY HIGHER ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, THE PREVALENCE OF SMOKING AND OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO TOBACCO SMOKE HOPEFULLY, THE INCIDENCE OF CANCER AMONG WAITERS WILL DECREASE IN THE FUTURE, DUE TO THE BANNING OF TOBACCO SMOKING IN RESTAURANTS AND BARS IN THE NORDIC COUNTRIES.

AB - AIMS: To study cancer risk patterns among waiters in the Nordic countries.METHODS: We identified a cohort of 16,134 male and 81,838 female waiters from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. During the follow-up period from 1961 to 2005, we found that 19,388 incident cancer cases were diagnosed. Standardised incidence ratio (SIR) was defined as the observed number of cancer cases divided by the expected number, based on national age, time period and gender-specific cancer incidence rates in the general population.RESULTS: The SIR of all cancers in waiters, in the five countries combined, was 1.46 (95% CI 1.41-1.51) in men and 1.09 (1.07-1.11) in women. In male waiters, the SIR decreased from 1.79 (1.63-1.96) in 1961-1975, to 1.33 (1.26-1.40) in 1991-2005, but remained stable among women. The SIR among male waiters was highest for cancers in the pharynx (6.11; 95% CI 5.02-7.37), oral cavity (4.91; 95% CI 3.81-6.24) and tongue (4.36; 95% CI 3.13-5.92); and in female waiters, in the larynx (2.17; 95% CI 1.63-2.82), oral cavity (1.96; 95% CI 1.60-2.34) and lung (1.89; 95% CI 1.80-1.99). CONCLUSIONS: THE RISK OF CANCER AMONG WAITERS WAS HIGHER THAN IN THE GENERAL POPULATION THE ELEVATED INCIDENCE IN SOME CANCER SITES CAN LIKELY BE EXPLAINED BY HIGHER ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, THE PREVALENCE OF SMOKING AND OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO TOBACCO SMOKE HOPEFULLY, THE INCIDENCE OF CANCER AMONG WAITERS WILL DECREASE IN THE FUTURE, DUE TO THE BANNING OF TOBACCO SMOKING IN RESTAURANTS AND BARS IN THE NORDIC COUNTRIES.

U2 - 10.1177/1403494814565130

DO - 10.1177/1403494814565130

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25564114

SN - 1403-4948

VL - 43

SP - 204

EP - 211

JO - Acta socio-medica Scandinavica

JF - Acta socio-medica Scandinavica

IS - 2

ER -