BACKGROUND: Social inequalities have been shown to contribute to the risk of lung cancer in industrialized countries, but it is unclear whether they also play a role in former socialist countries of Europe. METHODS: A case-control study involving 3,403 cases and 3,670 controls was conducted in Central European countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia), Russia, and in the UK. Indicators of socioeconomic status, including education and white/blue collar occupation based on lifetime occupations were analysed as indicators of risk factors for lung cancer development, after adjustment for tobacco smoking and exposure to occupational carcinogens. RESULTS: Both indicators of socioeconomic status: low education and blue collar occupations were found as significant risk factors for lung cancer in men. The odds ratio of lung cancer for blue collar occupations compared to white collar occupations was 1.37 (95% confidence interval 1.15-1.62), that for low education compared to high education (analysis restricted to Central European countries) was 1.35 (95% confidence interval 1.03-1.77). No such effects were observed in women. CONCLUSIONS: The confirmation of the significant inverse association between the indicators of socioeconomic status and lung cancer risk in men may serve as a strong incentive for adoption of occupational and public health measures in lung cancer prevention.
BACKGROUND: Social inequalities have been shown to contribute to the risk of lung cancer in industrialized countries, but it is unclear whether they also play a role in former socialist countries of Europe. METHODS: A case-control study involving 3,403 cases and 3,670 controls was conducted in Central European countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia), Russia, and in the UK. Indicators of socioeconomic status, including education and white/blue collar occupation based on lifetime occupations were analysed as indicators of risk factors for lung cancer development, after adjustment for tobacco smoking and exposure to occupational carcinogens. RESULTS: Both indicators of socioeconomic status: low education and blue collar occupations were found as significant risk factors for lung cancer in men. The odds ratio of lung cancer for blue collar occupations compared to white collar occupations was 1.37 (95% confidence interval 1.15-1.62), that for low education compared to high education (analysis restricted to Central European countries) was 1.35 (95% confidence interval 1.03-1.77). No such effects were observed in women. CONCLUSIONS: The confirmation of the significant inverse association between the indicators of socioeconomic status and lung cancer risk in men may serve as a strong incentive for adoption of occupational and public health measures in lung cancer prevention.
Authors: Ann C Olsson; Roel Vermeulen; Joachim Schüz; Hans Kromhout; Beate Pesch; Susan Peters; Thomas Behrens; Lützen Portengen; Dario Mirabelli; Per Gustavsson; Benjamin Kendzia; Josue Almansa; Veronique Luzon; Jelle Vlaanderen; Isabelle Stücker; Florence Guida; Dario Consonni; Neil Caporaso; Maria Teresa Landi; John Field; Irene Brüske; Heinz-Erich Wichmann; Jack Siemiatycki; Marie-Elise Parent; Lorenzo Richiardi; Franco Merletti; Karl-Heinz Jöckel; Wolfgang Ahrens; Hermann Pohlabeln; Nils Plato; Adonina Tardón; David Zaridze; John McLaughlin; Paul Demers; Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska; Jolanta Lissowska; Peter Rudnai; Eleonora Fabianova; Rodica Stanescu Dumitru; Vladimir Bencko; Lenka Foretova; Vladimir Janout; Paolo Boffetta; Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita; Francesco Forastiere; Thomas Brüning; Kurt Straif Journal: Epidemiology Date: 2017-03 Impact factor: 4.822
Authors: Jan Hovanec; Jack Siemiatycki; David I Conway; Ann Olsson; Isabelle Stücker; Florence Guida; Karl-Heinz Jöckel; Hermann Pohlabeln; Wolfgang Ahrens; Irene Brüske; Heinz-Erich Wichmann; Per Gustavsson; Dario Consonni; Franco Merletti; Lorenzo Richiardi; Lorenzo Simonato; Cristina Fortes; Marie-Elise Parent; John McLaughlin; Paul Demers; Maria Teresa Landi; Neil Caporaso; Adonina Tardón; David Zaridze; Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska; Peter Rudnai; Jolanta Lissowska; Eleonora Fabianova; John Field; Rodica Stanescu Dumitru; Vladimir Bencko; Lenka Foretova; Vladimir Janout; Hans Kromhout; Roel Vermeulen; Paolo Boffetta; Kurt Straif; Joachim Schüz; Benjamin Kendzia; Beate Pesch; Thomas Brüning; Thomas Behrens Journal: PLoS One Date: 2018-02-20 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: David I Conway; Jan Hovanec; Wolfgang Ahrens; Alastair Ross; Ivana Holcatova; Pagona Lagiou; Diego Serraino; Cristina Canova; Lorenzo Richiardi; Claire Healy; Kristina Kjaerheim; Gary J Macfarlane; Peter Thomson; Antonio Agudo; Ariana Znaor; Paul Brennan; Danièle Luce; Gwenn Menvielle; Isabelle Stucker; Simone Benhamou; Heribert Ramroth; Paolo Boffetta; Marta Vilensky; Leticia Fernandez; Maria Paula Curado; Ana Menezes; Alexander Daudt; Rosalina Koifman; Victor Wunsch-Filho; Amy Lee Yuan-Chin; Mia Hashibe; Thomas Behrens; Alex D McMahon Journal: J Epidemiol Community Health Date: 2021-02-23 Impact factor: 3.710
Authors: Thomas Behrens; Isabelle Groß; Jack Siemiatycki; David I Conway; Ann Olsson; Isabelle Stücker; Florence Guida; Karl-Heinz Jöckel; Hermann Pohlabeln; Wolfgang Ahrens; Irene Brüske; Heinz-Erich Wichmann; Per Gustavsson; Dario Consonni; Franco Merletti; Lorenzo Richiardi; Lorenzo Simonato; Cristina Fortes; Marie-Elise Parent; John McLaughlin; Paul Demers; Maria Teresa Landi; Neil Caporaso; David Zaridze; Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska; Peter Rudnai; Jolanta Lissowska; Eleonora Fabianova; Adonina Tardón; John K Field; Rodica Stanescu Dumitru; Vladimir Bencko; Lenka Foretova; Vladimir Janout; Hans Kromhout; Roel Vermeulen; Paolo Boffetta; Kurt Straif; Joachim Schüz; Jan Hovanec; Benjamin Kendzia; Beate Pesch; Thomas Brüning Journal: BMC Cancer Date: 2016-07-07 Impact factor: 4.430