Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men. Its causes are largely unknown, although prenatal occupational and environmental exposures have been suggested. We investigated paternal occupational exposure to heavy metals and welding fumes and the risk of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) in their offspring. A total of 454 cases and 670 controls were included from a French nationwide case-control study. The INTEROCC job exposure matrix was used to assign occupational exposures (cadmium, chromium, iron, nickel, lead, and welding fumes) to the fathers' jobs. Odds ratios (ORs) for TGCT were estimated using conditional logistic regression models for frequency-matched sets. Three complementary analytical approaches were used: (1) single-agent analysis, (2) analysis by groups, and (3) principal component analysis (PCA). The proportion of paternal exposure to different heavy metals and welding fumes ranged from 0.7% (cadmium) to 11.3% (lead). Based on PCA, three principal components explained 93.5% of the cumulative variance. No associations were found between heavy metals or welding fumes and TGCT. In this study, paternal occupational exposure to heavy metals or welding fumes was not associated with TGCT development in their sons.
Cancers. 2022 Oct 10*** epublish ***
Shukrullah Ahmadi, Margot Guth, Astrid Coste, Liacine Bouaoun, Aurélie Danjou, Marie Lefevre, Brigitte Dananché, Delphine Praud, Martie Van Tongeren, Louis Bujan, Olivia Pérol, Joachim Schüz, Barbara Charbotel, Béatrice Fervers, Ann Olsson
Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC/WHO, 150 cours Albert Thomas, CEDEX 08, 69372 Lyon, France., UMRESTTE, UMR T 9405, IFSTTAR, Lyon 1 University, Eiffel University, 69008 Lyon, France., Département Prévention, Cancer et Environnement, Centre Léon Bérard, 69008 Lyon, France., INSERM UMR1296 Radiation: Defense, Health, Environment, 69008 Lyon, France., Centre for Human Exposure Science, Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM), Research Avenue North, Riccarton, Edinburgh EH14 4AP, UK., DEFE (Développement Embryonnaire, Fertilité, Environnement) INSERM 1203, Universités Montpellier et Toulouse 3, 31000 Toulouse, France.