Occupational cancer of the urinary bladder

Abstract

The occupational etiology of bladder cancer has been known for more than 70 yr. The best‐known etiologic agents are aromatic amines such as 2‐naphthylamine and benzidine. The proportion of bladder cancers due to occupational exposure varies with the industrialization of the area in question. In heavily industrialized countries occupational exposure may be associated with as much as 25% of cases in men. Industries with a confirmed or highly probable increased risk of bladder cancer are dyestuff and chemical manufacture, pigment and paint manufacture, cable manufacture, textile works (dyeing), leather works, the coal tar industry, and the gas industry. In addition to these relatively well established risk industries, a number of occupations have been shown to be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer in epidemiologic studies. These include barbers, butchers, clerks, electricians, hairdressers, mechanics, medical occupations, metalworkers, painters, photographers, plumbers, shoemakers and shoe repairers, tailors, and textile workers. The etiologic agents in these occupations are obscure and it is difficult to know whether these associations are causal.