P046Occupational exposures and gastric cancer risk in the MCC-spain case-control study

ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between gastric cancer (GC) and occupational exposures.MethodsA total of 382 incident GC cases and 2,846 randomly selected population controls with occupational information were included from the MCC-Spain study, a population-based multicase-control study. Occupation was coded according to the Spanish National Classification of Occupations 1994. Occupational exposures were assessed by the MatEmEsp Job Exposure Matrix. ORs and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression adjusting for matching variables and education.ResultsIn men, a statistically significant increased risk of GC, was found for 'Employed skilled workers in agricultural activities' (OR 4.4) and a borderline association was found for 'miners and quarry workers' (OR 1.8, 95% CI: 0.9 to 3.4). Regarding occupational exposures, a statistically significant association was found for long term exposure (>10 years) to 'insecticides' in women (OR 2.68) and a borderline association was found in men (OR 1.43, 95% CI: 0.94 to 2.17). In men, a statistically significant increased risk of GC for the highest level of exposure to 'ioninzing radiation' (2.08), and 'silica dust' (OR1.52) was also found. In women, statistically significant associations were found for the highest level of exposure to some dusty exposures such as 'flour dust' (OR 1.76), or 'other mineral dust different from silica' (OR 2.07). A borderline association was found in women for other dusty exposures such as 'paper pulp&dust' (OR 3.22, 95% CI: 0.99 to 10.45), and non-significant increases of risk were found for 'leather dust' (OR 2.30, 95% CI: 0.58 to 9.17) and 'textile dust' (OR 2.30, 95% CI: 0.59 to 9.92).ConclusionsThis study supports the relationship previously suggested between GC and ionising radiation, pesticides or occupational exposure to dusty environments.