You worked hard to get a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Or maybe you earned your education, license or other credentials to go into engineering or teaching. Your goal was a white-collar career that would reward you in terms of a good salary, as well as meaningful work which would likely always be in demand. The last thing on your mind was whether or not it would increase your risk for prostate cancer (PCa).

Believe it or not, research evidence points to higher PCa risk in jobs like management, administration, legal work, teaching, and engineering. This may be especially surprising since such careers to not typically expose workers to toxic substances in the same way that military and emergency response work often does.

When it comes to PCa, occupational data has been around for a while. A 1998 article reports, “Numerous studies have suggested that certain occupations and industries may be associated with the occurrence of prostate cancer.”^[i] The authors of that paper examined causes of death for over 60,000 men whose job records were known, and observed “… excess risks in some white-collar occupations, such as administrators, managers, teachers, engineers, and sales occupations.”

A 2017 large population-based case-control study across eight Canadian provinces correlated PCa with occupation/industry. The researchers determined that legal work and office work brought elevated PCa risks.^[ii] Then, two years later another team published a huge quantitative research project: “Occupations were examined using the Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS). ODSS included 1 231 177 male workers for the 1983 to 2015 period, whose records were linked to the Ontario Cancer Registry (OCR) in order to identify and follow up on prostate cancer diagnoses.”^[iii] For particular white-collar professions, they found PCa risk was higher for men in management/administration, health services, and teaching. In fact, according to their analysis, “A more than 70% increased risk was observed for the major level teaching-related occupation, with the highest risk observed among university teachers at a minor level.” Data from this 2019 endeavor strengthens earlier findings.

In case you’re wondering why these jobs raise occupational PCa odds, the authors of the million-plus men paper suggest possible reasons. The most obvious one has to do with lack of exercise and physical activity—which is sad because we know that regular intense exercise can actually help prevent PCa. In fact, the authors point to studies of jobs that involve occupational physical activity can reduce prostate cancer risk by 19%. It is thought that lack of exercise during the workday can influence PCa risk “through changes in testosterone levels, immune function, and insulin-like growth factors.” The sedentary behavior explanation seems to make sense since there are minimal-to-no dangerous chemical exposures in these jobs. In addition, the authors can’t rule out the possibility that men with higher education (as required for these positions) and more secure economic status may be more conscious of participating in healthcare exams and screenings, which may account for a higher rate of PCa diagnosis.

One other factor may be aging-related. Higher level positions are frequently attained due to many prior years of work experience at lower levels. Positions such as senior management and judges are often filled by men in their 60s and beyond, and PCa incidence increases as men biologically age.

Are there any jobs, white collar or otherwise, with lower PCa risk? Well, put away those degrees and consider a career in forestry, logging, hunting and fishing. You won’t climb the corporate ladder, but you’ll be rich in natural beauty and physical activity as you breathe clean air all day long. Goodbye, white collar, hello plaid jackets and work boots.

NOTE: This content is solely for purposes of information and does not substitute for diagnostic or medical advice. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing pelvic pain, or have any other health concerns or questions of a personal medical nature.

References

[i] Krstev S, Baris D, Stewart PA, Hayes RB, Blair A, Dosemeci M. Risk for prostate cancer by occupation and industry: a 24-state death certificate study. Am J Ind Med. 1998 Nov;34(5):413-20.
[ii] Sritharan J, Demers PA, Harris SA, Cole DC, Peters CE. Canadian Cancer Registries Epidemiology Research Group; Villeneuve PJ. Occupation and risk of prostate cancer in Canadian men: A case-control study across eight Canadian provinces. Cancer Epidemiol. 2017 Jun;48:96-103.
[iii] Sritharan J, MacLeod JS, McLeod CB, Peter A, Demers PA. Prostate cancer risk by occupation in the Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS) in Ontario, Canada. Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can. 2019 May;39(5):178- 186.