Duration–response association between occupational exposure and pancreatic cancer risk: meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Evidence is lacking on the occupational exposure time window to chemical agents related to pancreatic cancer risk. AIMS: This study performed meta-regression and meta-analysis to examine the dose–response association between occupational exposure duration to chemical agents and pancreatic cancer risk. METHODS: We searched and reviewed studies on exposure duration and pancreatic cancer in five databases (Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Web of Science) from inception to 16 May 2022. Exposure refers to the years a worker was exposed to any chemical agent, and outcome variables were pancreatic cancer incidence and mortality. RESULTS: We identified 31 studies, including 288 389 participants. In the meta-regression, the positive dose–response association indicated pancreatic cancer risk increased slightly with every additional year of exposure duration (slope = 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–1.02). Pancreatic cancer risk increased with an exposure duration of 1–10 (relative risk [RR] = 1.04; 95% CI 1.02–1.06), 11–20 (RR = 1.11; 95% CI 1.05–1.16), and 21–30 years (RR = 1.39; 95% CI 1.12–1.73). CONCLUSIONS: Pancreatic cancer risk increased as occupational exposure duration increased, with an exposure time window ranging from 1 to 30 years.