Cancer morbidity in workers at aluminum foundries and secondary aluminum smelters

In a Swedish cohort of workers (n = 6,454) from seven aluminum foundries and three secondary aluminum (scrap) smelters there was no overall excess risk of cancer among male or female workers less than 85 years of age (males: 325 observed cases, standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91–1.13; females: 22 cases, SIR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.60–1.44). In male workers, however, significantly elevated risk estimates were observed for cancer of the lung (51 cases; SIR = 1.49, 95%CI = 1.11–1.96), anorectal cancer (33 cases; SIR 2.13, 95%CI = 1.47–2.99), and sinonasal cancer (4 cases; SIR = 4.70, 95%CI = 1.28–12.01). There was no increase of urinary bladder or liver cancer. Lung cancer risks were highest in workers with a short duration of employment (<5 years) suggesting determinants of risk related to socioeconomic factors rather than the occupational environment under study, but there were also indications of a lung cancer hazard from sand casting of aluminum for 10 years or more (SIR = 2.10, 95%CI = 1.01–3.87). The increase in anorectal cancer could not be etiologically related to occupational determinants of risk. Sand casting of aluminum aside, the cancer risk in secondary aluminum smelting seems to be lower than in primary aluminum smelting and in iron and steel founding, respectively. Am. J. Ind. Med. 32:467–477, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Cancer morbidity in lamp manufacturing workers

A historical prospective study of cancer in lamp manufacturing workers in one plant was conducted. All men and women who worked for a total of at least 6 months and were employed at some time between 1960 and 1975 were included. Work histories were abstracted and subjects were divided according to whether they had worked in the coiling and wire drawing area (CWD). Cancer morbidity from 1964 to 1982 was ascertained via the provincial registry, and was compared with the site-specific incidence in Ontario, adjusting for age, sex and calendar period. Of particular interest were primary breast and gynecological cancers in women. The cancers of a priori concern were significantly increased in women in CWD, but not elsewhere in the plant. The excess was greatest in those with more than 5 yr exposure (in CWD) and more than 15 yr since first working in CWD, with eight cases of breast and gynecological cancers observed in this category compared with 2.67 expected. Only three cancers occurred in men in CWD. Environmental measurements had not been made in the past and little information was available on substances used in the 1940s and 1950s, the period when the women with the highest excess began employment. It is known that methylene chloride and trichlorethylene have been used, but not enough is known about the dates and patterns of use to draw any conclusions about their relationship with the increase in disease.     

Cancer morbidity in Swedish asphalt workers

BACKGROUND: Some studies have indicated an increased risk of lung cancer among asphalt workers. This study investigates the risk of lung cancer in Swedish asphalt workers. METHODS: A cohort of 6,150 asphalt workers, mainly employed in road construction, was compared to the general population, and to a reference group of construction workers not exposed to asphalt fumes. The exposure to polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) at paving in Sweden during the 1980s and 1990s were estimated to be in the order of one or a few micrograms per cubic meter, but must have been higher in earlier years. RESULTS: Thirty-two lung cancer cases were observed among asphalt workers. The relative risk (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals were 0.98 (0.67-1.39). The corresponding relative risk, as compared to a group of construction workers and adjusted for smoking habits, was 1.03 (0.70-1.45). We found no increased risk for other cancers investigated or death in other lung diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Asphalt workers do not have any increased lung cancer risk from exposure to fumes and gases from asphalt at the exposure levels that occurred in Sweden during the 1960s and 1970s.     

Cancer morbidity in iron and steel workers in Korea

BACKGROUND: In the iron and steel industry, workers are potentially exposed to a number of carcinogens and are involved in a number of processes of a hazardous nature. The cancer morbidity of iron and steel workers from modern plants in a developing country is described. METHODS: Cancer morbidity at two Korean iron and steel complexes was analyzed using Poisson regression methods. Work histories were merged with the national cancer registry for 44,974 workers who were followed from 1988-2001. RESULTS: Four hundred sixty-four cancers, in 1% of the population, were diagnosed over 14 years. Based on national cancer rates, the cohort exhibited a healthy worker effect for all cancer (SIR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.79-0.95) reflecting relative good health, particularly for lung cancer (SIR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0. 04-0.82), stomach cancer (SIR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.64-0.93), and liver cancer (SIR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.68-1.01). Lung cancer morbidity was significantly elevated at the affiliated plants versus the parent plants (SRR = 2.35, 95% CI = 1.07-4.92), and all-cancer morbidity was significantly elevated for maintenance workers compared to office and production workers (SRR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.00-1.60). Lymphohematopoietic cancer incidence was higher in the coke plants (SRR = 3.46, 95% CI = 1.02-8.91) and stomach cancer incidence was higher in the maintenance departments (SRR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.05-2.56). CONCLUSIONS: This recent steelworker cohort exhibits possible excess cancer morbidity in some processing areas. Further follow-up of this cohort and alternate study designs such as case-control study will be needed to elucidate the relationship of exposure and health risks of iron and steel workers.     

Mortality and cancer morbidity among workers in the rubber tire industry

A retrospective follow-up study was conducted to evaluate mortality and cancer incidence between 1954 and 1976 among 1,792 white male production workers employed for at least 2 years at a tire manufacturing plant. There were no marked excesses in overall or site-specific cancer deaths or incident cases. Compared to U.S. white males, men employed for at least 10 years experienced small increases in deaths from cancers of the large intestine, pancreas, and lung. Results obtained by comparing observed incident cancer cases to the numbers expected based on age- and calendar time-specific incidence rates of Connecticut males also suggested excesses of these three malignancies. These findings were based on small numbers and therefore do not necessarily indicate causal associations between cancer excesses and employment in the rubber tire industry. However, because the workers studied comprised a relatively young population that may not have experienced the full impact of carcinogenic occupational exposures, further follow-up is warranted.     

接尘工人肺癌的病理学调查

本文集中我国各地区1960-1990年接尘工人尸检1000例,以非接尘男性尸检612例做对照,对尘肺肺癌的发病率和病理进行分析研究。结果:(1)接尘工人尸检肺癌发病率为17.2%,比对照组(3.16%)显著超高,占全身各器官癌病之首;(2)石棉肺尸检肺癌率最高(26.92%),矽肺(18.5%)与煤工尘肺(16.79%)相近;(3)职业上,煤矿、金属矿和石棉矿是我国尘肺肺癌的三大主要工种,接尘工龄以11～20年段发病最多(55.1%);(4)病理类型依次为腺癌(含肺泡细胞癌)、鳞癌、未分化癌,其中石棉肺一半以上为腺癌。     

Pulmonary nodules in workers exposed to urban stressor

By multilayer spiral low-dose computed tomography (LD-CT) of the chest this study assesses the early detection of lung lesions on a sample of 100 traffic policemen of a big Italian city professionally exposed to urban pollutants and 100 controls non-occupationally exposed to urban pollutants matched by sex, age, length of service and cigarette smoking habit. Exposure to urban pollutants in traffic policemen was characterized using the annual average concentrations of PM₁₀, NO₂ and benzene in the period 1998-2008 measured by fixed monitoring stations located in different areas of the city. A significant and increasing number of suspicious lung nodules with diameters between 5 and 10 mm was observed: in traffic policemen (including smokers and non-smokers) vs. controls (including smokers and non-smokers); in total smokers (including traffic policemen and controls) vs. total non-smokers (traffic policemen and controls); in smoker traffic policemen vs. smoker controls and vs. non-smoker traffic policemen; in non-smoker traffic policemen vs. non-smoker controls. The RR of finding cases with at least one lung nodule with diameters between 5 and 10 mm in traffic policemen (including smokers and non-smokers) compared to controls (including smokers and non-smokers) is 1.94 (CI 1.13-3.31); in total smokers vs. non-smokers the RR is 1.96 (CI 1.20-3.19). The comparison between the interaction exposure and smoking shows an increase in smoker traffic policemen than in smoker controls (RR=2.14; CI 1.02-4.52). The RR for smoker traffic policemen was higher than in non-smoker traffic policemen (RR=2.09; CI 1.19-3.66). The results of our study show that: (1) while smoker workers have a higher risk for developing solid suspicious lung nodules, the simple routinely exposure to urban pollutants is unable to produce the same kind of increased risk; (2) the interaction of smoking and exposure to urban pollutants greatly increases the risk for the development of solid suspicious lung nodules. In conclusion, the use of chest LD-CT in workers at risk helps identify suspicious solid lung nodules at early stage.     

某焦化厂焦炉工人肺癌的发病特征

目的分析某焦化厂近40年间焦炉工人肺癌的发病特征。方法收集、整理该焦化厂1970—2008年间焦炉工人肺癌的发病资料,利用SPSS18.0软件并对其发病年龄、潜伏期、生存期及病理特点等进行描述性分析。结果①67例焦炉工人肺癌病例主要分布于炉顶工段,占62.7%;其次为炉侧区,占26.9%;②发病平均年龄为61.4岁,大都集中在50～70岁;③焦炉工人肺癌的潜伏期平均为35a,生存期较短,1、3、5a生存率分别为48.6%、12.9%、8.6%;④病理类型以腺癌为主,占55%;其次为鳞癌,占41%。结论焦炉工人肺癌主要分布于炉顶工段,其潜伏期较长而生存期较短,腺癌占的比例较大。该焦化厂近年来肺癌发病人数增加较快,应当引起重视。     

Incidence of cancer among nitrate fertilizer workers

The results are presented from a historical prospective cohort study on the incidence of cancer among 1756 male workers at a nitrate fertilizer plant. Workers employed for 1 year or more between 1947 and 1980 were included in the cohort. Surrogates for individual exposure to nitrogen derivates and asbestos dust were recorded to identify subgroups. There were 195 cases of cancer observed versus 208.8 expected, as based on the rates among age-adjusted rural Norwegian males. A slight increase in stomach cancer was found: 28 observed versus 19.9 expected.     

Mortality and cancer morbidity experience of female workers at the British Nuclear Fuels Sellafield plant, 1946-1998

BACKGROUND: Studies of nuclear workers have focused mainly on the experience of male workers. To date, little has been published specifically on the experience of female workers in the nuclear industry. METHODS: We report on the mortality, cancer morbidity, and tracing experience of the 6,376 females ever employed at the British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. plant at Sellafield to the end of 1998. These workers have accumulated 142,337 person-years of experience. RESULTS: Radiation workers were exposed to low doses of radiation. No statistically significant associations were noted between mortality or cancer morbidity and cumulative assessed organ-specific internal plutonium dose or cumulative external whole body radiation dose overall, or for any of the individual disease groupings examined. The power of the study was insufficient to detect the risks indicated in other radiation studies. CONCLUSION: This study offers reassurance that there is no detrimental effect on the health of the female workers from occupational exposures at Sellafield. Am. J. Ind. Med. 44:653-663, 2003.     

Cancer mortality among French Atomic Energy Commission workers

BACKGROUND: All causes and cancer mortality of 58,320 workers employed at the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA) between 1946 and 1994 were compared with that of the general population in a retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMR) were computed with reference to the French national population. RESULTS: Between 1968 and 1994, 4,809 deaths occurred. A healthy worker effect is observed for men (SMR = 0.57, CI(90%) = [0.56;0.59]) and for women (SMR = 0.72, CI(90%) = [0.67;0.77]). Nine sites of cancer death were found to be in statistically significant deficit among men, none among women. An excess of pleural cancers is observed among men (SMR = 1.79, CI(90%) = [1.27;2.45]) and of malignant melanoma (SMR = 1.50, CI(90%) = [1.04;2.11]). An excess of breast cancer is observed among women on the borderline of significance (SMR = 1.14, CI(90%) = [0.94;1.37]). CONCLUSIONS: Excesses observed will have to be related to occupational exposures in the on-going cohort study on French nuclear workers which includes a retrospective exposures assessment.     

Cancer mortality among chemical workers in an Italian plant

Objective of this study was to assess the mortality experience of a cohort of chemical workers at a plant located in central Italy. Subjects employed for any time between 1954 and 1970 at the chemical plant were included in the cohort and followed up to June 1991. The workers were classified as having ever/never worked in one of the following work processes: organic chemicals, acid mixtures, cleansing agents and insecticides. Mortality experience of the cohort was compared with that of the regional population by computing SMRs (standardized mortality ratios) and 90% CI (confidence intervals). Vital status was ascertained for 96% of the 505 cohort members. All causes of mortality for the entire cohort were lower than expected (Obs: 176; SMR: 0.90; 90% CI: 0.79–1.03). Analysis by work process revealed an increased mortality for lymphatic and hematopoietic tissue neoplasm in the cleansing agents department (Obs: 3; SMR: 5.00; 90% CI: 1.36–12.9); peritoneum and retropertioneum neoplasm in the organic compounds production (Obs: 2; SMR: 13.33; 90% CI: 2.37–42.0), and bladder cancer in the insecticides process (Obs: 3; SMR: 3.53; 90% CI: 0.96–9.12). Although the study had a low statistical power, the increased cancer risks detected are consistent with previous observations and may be of etiologic interest.     

Cancer in Illinois construction workers: A study

A series of case-control studies using subjects from the Illinois State Cancer Registry have been conducted. Logistic regression was used to control for age and history of tobacco and alcohol use. Construction workers were consistently found to be younger than other subjects and to have used alcohol and tobacco more often. Significant positive associations between cancer of the stomach and welding (odds ratio [OR] = 2.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09, 4.09), lung cancer and employment in the construction industry (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.26), and lung cancer and welding (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.03, 2.76) were found. Significant negative associations between cancer of the colon and welding (OR = .54, 95% CI = .29, 1.00), cancer of the prostate and employment in the construction industry (OR = .76, 95% CI = .65, .89), cancer of the prostate and plumbing (OR = .44, 95% CI = .38, .50), cancer of the prostate and metal working (OR = .43, 95% CI = .19, .93), and bladder cancer and employment as an electrician (OR = .60, 95% CI = .36, 1.00) suggest that construction workers did not consistently experience excesses of cancers known to be associated with tobacco use, and an overall excess of sites not known to be related to tobacco use may have occurred. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Cancer morbidity among workers in the telecommunications industry

A retrospective cohort study of 2918 workers in the telecommunications industry in Sweden recorded the cancer morbidity for the period 1958-79. Cases of cancer were collected from the Swedish Cancer Registry for this period and information on work characteristics was collected for the entire period of employment. The total cancer morbidity was as expected. There was no excess risk of lung cancer but an excess risk of malignant melanoma of the skin was detected (SMR = 2.6, 12 cases). This excess risk was particularly associated with work environments where soldering was practised. Estimates of the SMR became larger with the assumption of a longer induction/latency period.     

一氧化碳对化肥工人慢性影响的调查研究

我们调查了某化肥厂接触CO浓度在91.2mg/m~3以下,工龄为1～35年间的283名职工,未发现急性和亚急性中毒病例。但在此浓度下,工作3～4小时后,血液中HbCO饱和度可达8%左右,约有25%以上的接触者有不同程度的自觉症状。研究表明,心电图、甲皱微血管检查技术可列为CO作业工人的健康监护手段。HbCO饱和度超过5%时,应视为过量接触,超过7%可能对人体产生危害。吸烟可使HbCo饱和度增加。所以,应把禁烟列入CO作业工人的安全作业规程。     

Cancer morbidity in Swedish shipyard workers 1978–1983

Summary The cancer morbidity in 3787 shipyard workers was studied between 1978 and 1983. In these shipyards the use of asbestos was abandoned in 1972. The overall cancer morbidity was found to be similar to that of the male population of the same city, but there were four cases of mesothelioma. There were 11 cases of lung cancer, as opposed to 9.8 expected cases. Men with both heavy and long exposure to asbestos had no increased risk of lung cancer. The occurrence of pleural plaques was not associated with the risk of developing cancer.     

Cancer by industry: analysis of a population-based cancer registry with an emphasis on blue-collar workers

This paper uses information on occupation and industry routinely collected in a state-based cancer registry to assess potential associations between work place exposures and cancer incidence. Industry-specific proportional cancer incidence ratios (PCIR) were calculated by race and sex for all individuals and for white males with blue-collar occupations. Expected numbers of cancers were derived both from cancers occurring among all occupations and just among blue-collar occupations. This latter analysis was done as a control for differences in the prevalence of life-style habits between blue- and white-collar workers. Increased lung cancer PCIR were seen in most industries previously reported to be associated with lung cancer risk. The effects of socioeconomic status on these results are discussed. Other results include an increased ratio of melanoma in blue-collar white male rubber and plastic product workers, an increased ratio of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in motor vehicle manufacture workers, and an increased PCIR of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in general construction workers. Uterine cancer was increased in proportion in white females for a number of industries including rubber and plastic product manufacture, apparel manufacture, and electrical equipment manufacture.