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Cooks may not have increased risk of uveal melanoma, study finds
BMC Ophthalmol. 2010;10:26.
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People who work as cooks or in cooking-related jobs were not found to have a greater risk for uveal melanoma, according to a German study.
This result clashes with a European rare cancer study, a population-based, case-control study that found a positive association between cooks and uveal melanoma risk.
Researchers in the current study, however, observed an increased risk among the population in only one federal state.
"Considering the rarity of the disease, laboratory in vitro studies of human uveal melanoma cell lines should be done to analyze potential exposure risk factors like radiation from microwaves, strong light from incandescent ovens or infrared radiation," the study authors said.
The case-control study, conducted between 2002 and 2005, included 1,653 German residents between the ages of 20 years and 74 years. The mean age of patients with incident uveal melanoma was 58 years.
Interviews on occupational exposure were conducted with 459 subjects (response proportion 94%), 827 population controls (55%), 180 ophthalmologist controls (52%) and 187 sibling controls (57%).
Authors noted the low response among the control groups may have contributed to selection bias.