P-231 Exposure to fire smoke and diesel exhaust and risk of prostate cancer in the Norwegian fire departments cohort

Introduction

Although no exposures are yet established as causally related to prostate cancer (PCa), the International Agency for Research on Cancer has found limited evidence for increased risk in firefighters. We present PCa incidence data from a Norwegian cohort of firefighters, examining the role of exposure to fire smoke and/or diesel exhaust.

Materials and Methods

The Norwegian Fire Departments Cohort (n=4295 males, follow-up 1960–2021) was established between 2017 and 2019. Cancer incidence data was obtained from the Cancer Registry of Norway. To refine exposure metrics, we obtained fire statistics for municipalities covered by the participating fire departments from the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and information on work environment from the participating fire departments, including self-contained breathing apparatus use and number of diesel vehicles. We perform internal comparisons using Poisson regression to study the associations between exposure to fire smoke and diesel exhaust and PCa risk. Norwegian regional ethics committees have approved the studies.

Results

During 123,962 person-years of follow-up, 270 PCa cases were diagnosed. Adjusted for age and period of start of employment, preliminary results indicate increased PCa risk associated with longer active service (35+ years vs. <10 years), with attending a higher number of fires (upper vs. lower quartile), and with higher exposure to emissions from diesel vehicles (upper vs. lower quartile). In addition to PCa overall, we will also study aggressive PCa, incorporating prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values, Gleason scores, and clinical stage at diagnosis.

Conclusions

Preliminary results indicate higher PCa incidence in firefighters with longer occupational duration, suggesting that occupational exposure to fire smoke and diesel exhaust may represent risk factors for PCa.