Occupational risk factors of lung cancer in a French case-control study

Abstract

A case-control study of 1625 histologically confirmed cases of lung cancer and 3091 controls matched for sex, age, hospital admission, and interviewer was conducted in France between 1976 and 1980. The results presented concern the effects of different occupations on the occurrence of lung cancer among 1334 male cases and 2409 matched controls. Occupations were coded blindly according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations. An excess risk of lung cancer was observed for the following occupations after adjustment for cigarette exposure: farmers (RR = 1.24, p < 0.06), miners and quarrymen (RR = 2.14, p < 0.02), plumbers and pipe fitters (RR = 1.80, p < 0.04), motor vehicle drivers (RR = 1.42, p < 0.01).