According to a recent statistical analysis, women who work as hairdressers, accountants, or in the construction or in the clothing industries may be more likely to get ovarian cancer.
According to data, ovarian cancer will be discovered in about 20,000 women in 2023.
Ovarian cancer risk factors include advanced age, a family history of the disease, the absence of children or breastfeeding, having several partners, and occasional use of oral contraception.
Environmental exposures, such as particular chemicals and substances in the workplace, are another factor that increases the risk of this type of cancer.
Few studies, however, have examined whether working with potential carcinogens increases the risk of developing ovarian cancer in women or whether a particular occupation would increase that risk.
In order to evaluate if certain jobs increase the risk of ovarian cancer, a population-based study that was released on July 10 in the journal employment and Environmental Medicine examined the lifetime employment histories of 491 women with ovarian cancer and 897 women without the disease.
The researchers also looked at the connection between cancer risks and 29 of the most typical substances found in the workplace.
After analyzing the data, the research team discovered that ten years or more of employment in the beauty, barber, or allied industries was linked to a three-fold increased risk of ovarian cancer. Additionally, employment in the construction industry increased risk by thrice, and ten years or more of experience as an accountant doubled risk.
Long-term employment in the apparel industry, particularly embroidery, was linked to an ovarian cancer risk that was 85% greater.
Because the hair and cosmetic industry is associated with using many agents, the researchers couldn’t determine if exposure to one or a combination of agents drove the increased cancer risk found in the findings.
The results, however, point to a potential reduction in ovarian cancer risk for trained nurses and teachers.
Although the data point to certain jobs and workplace exposures as possibly increasing the risk of ovarian cancer, the study’s authors point out that these findings have only limited implications.