The jobs that may give women a higher risk of ovarian cancer

Hairdressers , beauticians and accountants could be at a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer , a new study has suggested. Those working in sales, retail, clothing and construction industries could also carry a higher risk according to a new study published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. But the authors of the study stressed that ‘inferences from the results are limited’ as they called for more work to examine the links between ovarian cancer risk and different occupations. The study compared data on 491 Canadian women with ovarian cancer and 897 women without disease. The researchers considered influential factors such as whether they are more likely to come in contact with a certain chemical while at work. The researchers said that those found to have a higher risk were more likely to be exposed to a number of ‘agents’ including: cosmetic talc, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, hair dust, synthetic fibres, polyester fibres, organic dyes, and pigments and bleaches. Those who had worked as a hairdresser, barber or beautician appeared to have a three-fold higher risk. Meanwhile, women who worked in accountancy for a decade were twice as likely to develop the disease while construction workers were almost three times as likely. Shop assistants and sales people had a 45% increased risk while those who make or alter clothes appeared to have an 85% increased risk. ‘We observed associations suggesting that accountancy, hairdressing, sales, sewing and related occupations may be linked to excess risks,’ the authors wrote. ‘Further population-based research is needed to evaluate possible hazards for female workers and occupations commonly held by women.’ They said the study ‘reminds us that while the lack of representation of women in occupational cancer studies – and indeed, even potential strategies to address this issue – have been long recognised, there is still a need for improvement in studying women’s occupational risks. ‘By excluding women, we miss the opportunity to identify risk factors for female-specific cancers, to evaluate whether sex-specific differences in risk occur, and to study exposures occurring in occupations held primarily by women.’