10/21/97
STUDY SUGGESTS HAIR DRESSERS AT RISK FOR RARE CANCER
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Women who have worked as hairdressers are at higher risk of developing a rare form of cancer than the general population, according to a recent Michigan State University study.
The study, titled "Cancers of the Salivary Gland: Workplace Risks Among Women and Men," appears in the latest issue of the Annals of Epidemiology.
"It's clear from the results of this study that there is a relationship between people who have been employed as hairdressers, or who have worked in beauty shops in general, and the occurrence of cancers of the salivary glands," said Marie Swanson, director of the Cancer Center at MSU and the study's co-investigator.
Salivary glands secrete saliva in the mouth. Saliva aids in digestion.
Little is known about salivary gland cancers. For every 100,000 people there are only .9 cases reported and .2 deaths.
The study included 163 black and white men and women from the tri-county Detroit area who were diagnosed with salivary gland cancer between 1984 and 1991, as well as 3,751 from the general population for comparison. Of these, 79 salivary gland cancer cases were women, as were 1,944 of the population controls.
The study found that there was a higher risk of salivary gland cancer among women who have worked as hairdressers when compared to those who have worked in occupations with no exposures to potentially cancer-causing agents.
The common thread between all of the occupations and industries studied was exposure to inhaled chemicals, fumes, and sprays.
"The increased risk of salivary gland cancer among women employed in beauty shops is intriguing," Swanson said. "Further studies should attempt to identify the specific exposures involved. This may include permanent and wave setting solutions, hair dyes, or hair sprays."
The results of the study also suggest that focusing on inhaled exposures such as motor exhaust, fumes and sprays may enhance the understanding of the cause of cancers of the salivary gland.
Contact Marie Swanson, Director of the Cancer Center at MSU, at (517) 353-8828 ext 2 or Ron Collins, Media Communications, 355-2281.
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