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Objective: High risk of degraded quality of life and psychological distress is observed in patients diagnosed with sinonasal, nasopharyngeal, and laryngeal cancers, which could be caused by exposure to carcinogens in workplaces. This review aimed to investigate the psychological impact of diagnosis associated with the possible occupational etiology of such neoplasms and to explore the instruments that evaluate the quality of life (QoL), anxiety, and depression in these patients. Methods: Studies were considered for the review only if they described aspects of the psychological impact of the diagnosis of sinonasal, nasopharyngeal, and laryngeal cancers and reported results distinguished by the tumor site. The psychological impact was assessed in terms of health-related QoL, anxiety, and depression using reliable psychometric questionnaires administered at the time of diagnosis and 1 year later. Results: In more than 5,900 records identified, 442 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and 436 were excluded after full-text screening, resulting in six studies to be finally included in the review. The EORTC Core Quality of Life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), EORTC QLQ-H&N35, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT) were used to evaluate the QoL, whereas the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) questionnaires were employed to assess anxiety and depression. QoL scores were similar to those of the general population at the time of diagnosis and remained unchanged or slightly improved at 1 year since diagnosis. In contrast, a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression was observed compared with the general population, although the results were inconsistent across the very few studies identified. No study investigating the association between the potential occupational etiology and QoL or distress was found. Conclusion: Exploring the existing scientific literature on emotional distress in sinonasal, nasopharyngeal, and laryngeal cancer patients was prompted by concerns over the disfiguring nature of treatment and the additional emotional burden resulting from their occupational etiology. Unfortunately, neither a crucial element nor other risk factors (lifestyle, smoking, drinking, etc.) were examined in any study. Patients' employment history should be considered in order to assess the possible impact of believing they are affected by an occupational exposure disease in the evaluation of their psychological distress. This history would support evidence-based recommendations about dedicated psychological interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Sinonasal cancer (SNC) is strongly associated with occupational exposure to several carcinogens involved in SNC's etiology, which vary by gender. Gender differences in SNC cases were examined through the Italian sinonasal cancer registry. Male-to-female incidence differences are neglectable in the youngest age classes but increase in older age classes, probably as a result of more men being diagnosed with SNC due to their greater occupational exposure to carcinogens (mostly wood and leather dusts) compared with women. Occupational exposures to carcinogens were the most frequent in both genders. A high percentage of women had unlikely exposures. Gender differences deserve more deep investigation, starting with a review of diagnostic processes and occupational history taking. Background: Although rare, sinonasal cancers (SNCs) have a high occupational attributable fraction. Methods: We applied gender-based approaches to descriptive analyses, incidence, and patterns of exposures using the Italian National Sinonasal Cancer Registry (ReNaTuNS: Registro Nazionale Tumori Naso-Sinusali). Results: The study included 2851 SNC patients. SNC was diagnosed more often in men (73%) than in women (27%). The most frequent morphology in men was intestinal-type adenocarcinoma (33%), whereas in women, it was squamous cell carcinoma (49%). Nasal cavities were predominant in both genders (50%), ethmoidal sinus in men (24%), and maxillary in women (24%). Incidence rates were 0.76 (per 100,000 person-years) in men and 0.24 in women and increased by age, more evidently in men, peaking over 75 years in both. Occupational exposures to wood and leather dusts were the most frequent (41% for men, 33% for women). Few exposures were extra-occupational or domestic. Unlikely exposure was relevant in women (57%). Conclusions: The surveillance of SNC cases through a registry that allows for the identification of and compensation for this occupational disease is important in Italy, where numerous workers are exposed to carcinogens for SNC, without even being aware. Considering the rarity of the disease, particularly among women, the ReNaTuNS can provide a method to analyze gender differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent studies supported the association between occupational exposure to asbestos and risk of cholangiocarcinoma (CC). Aim of the present study is to investigate this association using an update of mortality data from the Italian pooled asbestos cohort study and to test record linkage to Cancer Registries to distinguish between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic/extrahepatic forms of CC. Methods: The update of a large cohort study pooling 52 Italian industrial cohorts of workers formerly exposed to asbestos was carried out. Causes of death were coded according to ICD. Linkage was carried out for those subjects who died for liver or bile duct cancer with data on histological subtype provided by Cancer Registries. Results: 47 cohorts took part in the study (57,227 subjects). We identified 639 causes of death for liver and bile duct cancer in the 44 cohorts covered by Cancer Registry. Of these 639, 240 cases were linked to Cancer Registry, namely 14 CC, 83 HCC, 117 cases with unspecified histology, 25 other carcinomas, and one case of cirrhosis (likely precancerous condition). Of the 14 CC, 12 occurred in 2010-2019, two in 2000-2009, and none before 2000. Conclusion: Further studies are needed to explore the association between occupational exposure to asbestos and CC. Record linkage was hampered due to incomplete coverage of the study areas and periods by Cancer Registries. The identification of CC among unspecific histology cases is fundamental to establish more effective and targeted liver cancer screening strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence for the human health effects of pesticides is needed to inform risk assessment. We studied the relationship between occupational insecticide use and risk of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) by pooling data from nine case‐control studies participating in the InterLymph Consortium, including 7909 cases and 8644 controls from North America, the European Union and Australia. Insecticide use was coded using self‐report or expert assessment, for insecticide groups (eg, organophosphates, pyrethroids) and active ingredients (eg, malathion, permethrin). Associations with insecticides were estimated using logistic regression to produce odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all NHL and NHL subtypes, with adjustment for study site, demographic factors and use of other pesticides. Occupational insecticide use, overall, was not associated with risk of NHL. Use of organophosphate insecticides was associated with increased risk of all NHL and the subtype follicular lymphoma, and an association was found with diazinon, in particular (ever use: OR = 2.05, 95%CI: 1.24‐3.37). The carbamate insecticide, carbaryl, was associated with risk of all NHL, and the strongest associations were found with T‐cell NHL for ever‐use (OR = 2.44, 95%CI: 1.13‐5.28) and longer duration (>8 years vs never: OR = 2.90, 95%CI: 1.02‐8.25). There was no association of NHL with other broad groups of insecticides, including organochlorines and pyrethroids, and some inverse associations were estimated in relation to historical DDT use. Our findings contribute to the totality of evidence available to help inform risk decisions by public health and regulatory agencies of importance given continued, widespread use of organophosphate and carbamate insecticides. What's new? The role of occupational pesticide use in non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) remains unclear, despite many studies over the years. These authors analyzed pooled data from nine case‐control studies, including 7909 cases and 8644 controls from North America, the European Union, and Australia. Occupational insecticide use overall did not increase cancer risk. Organophosphate insecticides as a group were associated with increased risk of NHL, and associations were also seen with the specific ingredients diazinon and carbaryl. Estimated risks with these current‐use pesticides provide evidence for supporting public health measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1960, incidence of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has been increasing in most industrialized countries, but causes of this trend remain unclear. A role of the decreased exposure to infectious agents during childhood has been proposed. Our study evaluates the association between common childhood infectious diseases and the risk of NHL and its major subtypes by a reanalysis of the Italian multicenter case–control study. After exclusion of next‐of‐kin interviews, 1,193 cases, diagnosed between 1990 and 1993, and 1,708 population‐based controls were included in the analyses. OR estimates were obtained by logistic regression, adjusting for gender, age, residence area, education, smoking habit and exposure to radiations, pesticides and aromatic hydrocarbons. Among B‐cell lymphomas (n = 1,102) an inverse association was observed for rubella (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.65–0.99), pertussis (OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.62–0.88) and any infection (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.61–0.93). A negative trend by number of infections was observed, which was more evident among mature B‐cell lymphoma (OR = 0.66 for three infections or more, 95% CI: 0.48–0.90). Our results indicate a potential protective role of common childhood infections in the etiology of B‐cell NHL. What's new? Since 1960, incidence of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has been increasing in most industrialized countries. A protective effect of common childhood infectious diseases has been suggested, but evidence remains controversial. This study found an inverse association between B cell lymphomas, rubella, pertussis, and any infection in 1,102 NHL cases and 1,708 population‐based controls, and a negative trend by number of infections. The results indicate a potential protective role of common childhood infections in the etiology of B‐cell NHL. Further studies should investigate the possibility that the "hygiene hypothesis" could be at least in part responsible for the increase of NHL incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diet has been shown to modulate M1dG adduct, a biomarker of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Thus, we analysed the association between diet and M1dG in 120 controls and 67 Map Ta Phut industrial estate workers in Rayong, Thailand, to evaluate the influence of fruit and vegetables, and fried and charcoal-grilled/barbecued food consumption on M1dG. M1dG was decreased in controls reporting to consume 14-17 servings/week of fruit and vegetables (mean ratio [MR]== 0.35, CI 0.18-0.69, p< 0.05). Conversely, a non-statistically significant M1dG increment was detected in controls consuming 9-18 servings/week of fried food (MR == 1.33, CI 0.88-2.00, p == 0.168). No effect of charcoal-grilled/barbecued food was found. No effect of diet was observed in workers. An association with smoking was observed in controls (MR == 1.88, CI 1.14-3.10, p < 0.05), but not in workers. M1dG can induce mutations and/or methylation changes within the promoter regions of cancer-related genes, thus promotion of healthy eating practices should be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Asbestos is a known human carcinogen and is causally associated with malignant mesothelioma, lung, larynx and ovarian cancers., Methods: Cancer risk was studied among a pool of formerly asbestos-exposed workers in Italy. Fifty-two Italian asbestos cohorts (asbestos-cement, rolling-stock, shipbuilding, and other) were pooled and their mortality follow-up was updated to 2018. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were computed for major causes of death considering duration of exposure and time since first exposure (TSFE), using reference rates by region, age and calendar period., Results: The study included 63,502 subjects (57,156 men and 6346 women): 40% who were alive, 58% who died (cause known for 92%), and 2% lost to follow-up. Mortality was increased for all causes (SMR: men = 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.05; women = 1.15, 95% CI 1.11-1.18), all malignancies (SMR: men = 1.21, 95% CI 1.18-1.23; women = 1.29, 95% CI 1.22-1.37), pleural and peritoneal malignancies (men: SMR = 10.46, 95% CI 9.86-11.09 and 4.29, 95% CI 3.66-5.00; women: SMR = 27.13, 95% CI 23.29-31.42 and 7.51, 95% CI 5.52-9.98), lung (SMR: men = 1.28, 95% CI 1.24-1.32; women = 1.26, 95% CI 1.02-1.53), and ovarian cancer (SMR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.08-1.84). Pleural cancer mortality increased during the first 40 years of TSFE (latency), reaching a plateau thereafter., Conclusions: Analyses by time-dependent variables showed that the risk for pleural neoplasms increased with latency and no longer increases at long TSFE, consistent with with asbestos clearance from the lungs. Peritoneal neoplasm risk increased over all observation time., (© 2023 The Authors. American Journal of Industrial Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: leukaemia is the most prevalent form of childhood cancer, an overall rare condition in childhood. Even few cases occurring in a small community can cause considerable apprehension among the population. From 2014 to 2017, 4 cases of childhood cancer occurred in Valle di Ledro, a municipality of 5,300 inhabitants in Province of Trento (Northern Italy), and a group of concerned citizens asked provincial health authorities for an investigation., Objectives: to address the community's health needs by verifying the hypothesis of a cluster of childhood cancer and through effective risk communication activities., Design: retrospective cohort analysis based on data from the Cancer registry of the Autonomous Province of Trento and data collected from hospital discharge records. The communication activities were carried out according to the recommendations published by Epidemiologia&Prevenzione in 2016 in a Supplement "Childhood cancers, risk factors and investigation models for the evaluation of spatio-temporal clusters"., Setting and Participants: Valle di Ledro, a municipality of 5,300 inhabitants in the Province of Trento. The participants in risk communication process were: city council; grassroot committee of concerned parents; health workforce of different services (epidemiology, cancer registry, public health; environmental health; primary health care; personnel of the Environmental Protection Agency; journalists; general population. The participants in the statistical analyses were: children of 0-14 years of age who were diagnosed a cancer from 1998 to 2014 in the Province of Trento (N. 212); leukaemia (N. 84) and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (N. 66) incident cases in the period 1998-2017 in Trento province., Main Outcome Measures: verification of the presence of a cluster of childhood cancers; degree of consensus and collaboration of the different community stakeholders to the survey procedures and acceptance of the final results; atmosphere in public assemblies and feedback in the local press., Results: a total of 212 incident cancer cases in children 0-14 years have been registred in Province of Trento from 1998 to 2014, leukaemia in 35% (N. 74) cases. From 2015 to 2017, another 10 cases of leukaemia occurred, for a total of 84 cases of leukaemia from 1998 to 2017. In the years from 1998 to 2017, in Valle di Ledro, taking the Italian population as reference group, the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were the following: cancer, all types 1,47 (IC95% 0,40-3,76); leukaemia 3,39 (IC95% 0,70-9,90), LLA 2,81 (IC95% 0,34-10,16). No cluster emerged from the geographical analyses. From the very beginning of the risk management approach, a decision-making working group was set up applying a participatory approach. Group members included the city council and the local committee of concerned parents and experts from different services of the local health unit. Data analyses was delegated to a technical working group that reported back to the decision-making group. Members of the technical working group were supervised by external experts. Following this approach, it was possible to establish a climate of trust and credibility. The involvement of all stakeholders right from the start in a totally transparent process was a key element of success., Conclusions: the cluster hypothesis was rejected for both childhood cancer (all types) and leukaemia (all types and ALL). The implementation of the risk communication process recommended by the AIE guidelines was successful in establishing a climate of reciprocal trust that allowed to overcome inevitable moments of conflict in a productive manner. Thanks to this positive atmosphere, the communication of the results of the statistical analyses was effective in reassuring the population.