In a study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Lesinski et al identified cancer mortality rates according to the occupation of U.S. adults aged 20 to 64 years between 2020 and 2023.
Study Details
The study used information on cancer deaths for 22 main cancer sites from 2020 to 2023 among adults aged 20 to 64 years at time of cancer death. Data was obtained from Mortality Multiple Cause of Death from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics and the National Vital Statistics System. Deaths were categorized by sex, occupation, age, and year, using 459 detailed U.S. Census 2010 occupation codes and 23 major occupation groups.
Key Findings
Among 450,453 total cancer deaths in 2020 to 2023 included in the analysis, the average annual age-adjusted cancer mortality rate per 100,000 working-age U.S. residents was 55.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 54.9–55.5) among men and 49.1 (95% CI = 48.8–49.4) among women.
Among women, the five detailed occupations with the highest annual age-adjusted cancer mortality rates per 100,000 were: first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers = 163.2; funeral directors = 152.8; first-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers = 150.8; fishing and hunting workers = 143.9; and artists and related workers = 141.1.
Among men, the five detailed occupations with the highest annual age-adjusted cancer mortality rates per 100,000 were: agricultural and food scientists = 189.5; fishing and hunting workers = 167.4; surveyors, cartographers, and photogrammetrists = 163.4; extraction workers = 158.0; and structural metal fabricators and fitters = 157.5.
Among the 23 major occupation categories, the five with the highest age-adjusted cancer mortality rates for women were: transportation; protective services; material moving; construction and extraction; and health-care support. For men, the highest five were: construction and extraction; transportation; material moving; installation, maintenance, and repair; and building/grounds cleaning and maintenance.
The investigators concluded: “U.S. cancer mortality rates among working-age adults vary substantially by sex, occupation, and cancer site, suggesting workplace-related exposures beyond carcinogens. These findings highlight the need to study how working conditions, structural inequities, and health-care access influence cancer mortality risk by occupation.”
Jesse J. Plascak, PhD, of the Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, is the corresponding author for The Lancet Oncology article.
Disclosure: The investigators reported that there was no external funding for the study. For full disclosures of the study authors, visit thelancet.com.
