Background: There is sufficient evidence that asbestos causes laryngeal cancer, but overall the role of occupational exposures in the etiology of head and neck cancer (HNC) remains largely unknown. Although several studies have reported associations between occupational exposures and HNC, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions. Objectives: (1) To summarize available epidemiologic data on occupational exposures and cancers of the oral cavity (OC), pharynx and larynx (the most frequent HNC); (2) using data from a large case-control study, to identify occupations and industries with an increased risk of HNC, then to investigate the role of some suspected occupational exposures (asbestos, mineral wools (MW), cement dust, silica). Methods: (1) A literature research and a series of meta-analyses were performed. (2) The Icare study is a French population-based case-control study including 2415 HNC cases and 3555 controls. Complete and detailed occupational histories were collected. Analyses by job title were conducted. Job exposure matrices, developed by the Occupational Health Department of the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS), were used to assess lifetime occupational exposure to asbestos, MW, cement dust and silica. Results: Significantly increased meta-relative risks (meta-RR) were obtained considering laryngeal cancer and exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), engine exhausts, working in the textile industry and the rubber industry, and for cancer of the OC and pharynx and exposures to asbestos, PAH and engine exhausts. Significantly increased risks were found for several jobs and industries, some of them entailing exposures to agents for which meta-RR were increased. Analyses for specific occupational exposures confirmed the association between asbestos and laryngeal cancer and showed an association with the risk of oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer. An association with exposure to cement dust was also suggested. The results did not support an association between HNC risk and exposure to MW or silica. Conclusion: This work emphasizes the role of occupational exposures in HNC. Overall, our results suggest associations between HNC and exposure to asbestos, PAH, cement dust, and work in the rubber industry.
