Cancer mortality among Mexican Americans and other whites in Texas, 1969-80.

Cancer mortality in Texas 1969-80 was 25 per cent lower among Mexican American males compared to other Whites; among females, rates were only 4 per cent lower. Reduced mortality was primarily a result of lower rates for cancers of the most common sites: lung, colon, breast and prostate. However, for cancers of the stomach, liver, and gallbladder, Mexican Americans had higher rates than other Whites. Female Mexican Americans were also at a higher mortality risk for cervical cancer. Implications are discussed.     

上海市金山区居民1997～2001年恶性肿瘤死亡情况分析

目的　分析上海市金山区居民1997～2 0 0 1年恶性肿瘤死亡情况,为制定恶性肿瘤综合防治措施提供依据。方法　按国际疾病分类(ICD 9)进行死因分类,统计分析主要死因死亡率、不同性别恶性肿瘤标化死亡率、恶性肿瘤年龄别死亡率。结果　上海金山区1997～2 0 0 1年恶性肿瘤年平均死亡率为16 6 5 6 / 10万,死亡率呈逐年上升趋势,死因顺位近两年已跃居全死因的首位。恶性肿瘤死亡数占全部死亡人数的2 4 6 7% (4316 / 174 93)。男性居民恶性肿瘤标化死亡率均高于女性,死亡前三位的是肺癌、肝癌、食管癌;女性死亡前三位的是肝癌、肺癌、胃癌。随着年龄的增加死亡率逐渐上升,尤以6 5岁以上上升明显。结论　上海市金山区居民恶性肿瘤死亡率逐年上升,恶性肿瘤的防制工作已刻不容缓,应加强一级预防及高危人群的监测工作,降低主要恶性肿瘤的发病率、死亡率,提高居民的健康期望寿命     

Biomarker monitoring of a population residing near uranium mining activities.

We investigated whether residents residing near uranium mining operations (target population), who are potentially exposed to toxicants from mining waste, have increased genotoxic effects compared with people residing elsewhere (reference population). Population surveys were conducted, and 24 target and 24 reference residents were selected. The selected subjects and controls were matched on age and gender and they were nonsmokers. Blood samples were collected for laboratory studies. The standard cytogenetic assay was used to determine chromosome aberration frequencies, and the challenge assay was used to investigate DNA repair responses. We found that individuals who resided near uranium mining operations had a higher mean frequency of cells with chromosome aberrations and higher deletion frequency but lower dicentric frequency than the reference group, although the difference was not statistically significant. After cells were challenged by exposure to gamma-rays, the target population had a significantly higher frequency of cells with chromosome aberrations and deletion frequency than the reference group. The latter observation is indicative of abnormal DNA repair response in the target population.     

Detecting spatiotemporal clusters of accidental poisoning mortality among Texas counties, U.S., 1980 - 2001

BACKGROUND: Accidental poisoning is one of the leading causes of injury in the United States, second only to motor vehicle accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rates of accidental poisoning mortality have been increasing in the past fourteen years nationally. In Texas, mortality rates from accidental poisoning have mirrored national trends, increasing linearly from 1981 to 2001. The purpose of this study was to determine if there are spatiotemporal clusters of accidental poisoning mortality among Texas counties, and if so, whether there are variations in clustering and risk according to gender and race/ethnicity. The Spatial Scan Statistic in combination with GIS software was used to identify potential clusters between 1980 and 2001 among Texas counties, and Poisson regression was used to evaluate risk differences. RESULTS: Several significant (p < 0.05) accidental poisoning mortality clusters were identified in different regions of Texas. The geographic and temporal persistence of clusters was found to vary by racial group, gender, and race/gender combinations, and most of the clusters persisted into the present decade. Poisson regression revealed significant differences in risk according to race and gender. The Black population was found to be at greatest risk of accidental poisoning mortality relative to other race/ethnic groups (Relative Risk (RR) = 1.25, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.24 - 1.27), and the male population was found to be at elevated risk (RR = 2.47, 95% CI = 2.45 - 2.50) when the female population was used as a reference. CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study provide evidence for the existence of accidental poisoning mortality clusters in Texas, demonstrate the persistence of these clusters into the present decade, and show the spatiotemporal variations in risk and clustering of accidental poisoning deaths by gender and race/ethnicity. By quantifying disparities in accidental poisoning mortality by place, time and person, this study demonstrates the utility of the spatial scan statistic combined with GIS and regression methods in identifying priority areas for public health planning and resource allocation.     

Trends in mortality from stroke in Scotland, 1950-1986.

The Scottish Registrar General's Annual Reports have been used to study trends in mortality from stroke in Scotland during 1950-1986 in those aged 45 to 74. In 1950 the age-adjusted mortality rate was 347.4 per 100,000 population for men and 360.8 for women, falling to 199.6 for men and 155.8 for women in 1986. This downward trend has increased from 1976 for males. The average annual decline in age-adjusted mortality from stroke over the 37-year period was 4.0 per 100,000 in males and 5.5 in females. This reduction in death rates was proportionally higher for women compared with men in all age groups over 55 years. As with cardiovascular deaths, mortality from stroke was lower in the east than in the central region and west of Scotland. The reduction in mortality resulted in a substantial 'saving' of lives, estimated at 12,500 between 1980 and 1984.     

Disease and illness in U.S. mining, 1983-2001

OBJECTIVES: We describe inconsistencies in disease and illness reporting in U.S. mining, identify under-reporting of disease and illness in U.S. mining, and summarize selected disease and illness in U.S. mining from 1983 through 2001. METHODS: We summarized information on mining-related disease and illness data for the years 1983-2001 from the Mining Safety and Health Administration database (MSHA). RESULTS: Discrepancies exist in types of information collected by the Centers for Disease and Control, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Mining Safety and Health Administration database. Several factors, including a worker's fear of losing his or her job, health insurance, or other job-related benefits contribute to under-reporting of disease and illness information in the US mining industry. CONCLUSIONS: Since 1997, both number of workers employed in mining and disease and illness rates have decreased; however, the highest disease and illness rates in mining continue to be coal worker's pneumoconiosis and hearing loss.     

Trends in cancer mortality sex ratios in Europe, 1950-1989.

A study was carried out to analyse trends in cancer mortality sex differentials. This study compared age-standardized sex ratio values for mortality from 18 cancers (or groups of cancers), and total cancer mortality over the period 1950-1989 in 24 European countries, for 4 age groups (all ages, 20-44 years, 45-64 years, and 65 years and over). For lung cancer and other tobacco-related neoplasms, appreciable rises in sex ratio values were observed until the late 1970s, particularly in Southern and Eastern Europe, before levelling off in recent years, particularly among the younger age groups. In the late 1980s, the range of variation in overall age-standardized sex ratios for lung cancer was between 2 and 3 in the United Kingdom and in Nordic countries, and around or over 10 in Southern Europe. In young adults, the decline in sex ratio values observed in Denmark and Sweden (unity), and in other Nordic countries and in the United Kingdom (around or below 2) reflects a levelling of lung cancer in young males and an increase in young females. This clearly indicates that young women are a priority target group for smoking control interventions in Europe. Appreciable cohort effects were also observed for stomach cancer: rises in sex ratio values were greater in, or restricted to, middle- and older age groups, whereas in the young there was some tendency towards a levelling in sex differentials. The overall sex ratio values for stomach cancer were around 2 in most areas of Europe in the late 1980s. For intestinal cancer, sex ratio values showed some tendency to rise, reaching a level of 1.3-1.7 in the late 1980s; steady rises were also registered in sex ratio values for melanoma (skin cancer), reaching 1.5-1.8 in the late 1980s in most countries. These upward trends which were minor or inconsistent at younger ages in several countries became progressively stronger with advancing age. Sex ratio values were below unity for cancers of the gallbladder and the thyroid. Sex ratio values tended to rise also for leukaemia (from 1.2-1.5 to 1.5-1.7), but showed no noticeable trend for lymphomas or myeloma. The overall sex ratio values for total cancer mortality in the 1950s were between 1.2 and 1.4 in most European countries. Thereafter, they rose appreciably in several countries, reaching 1.9 in Czechoslovakia, Italy and Poland, and 2.3 in France.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Cancer mortality in counties near two former nuclear materials processing facilities in Pennsylvania, 1950-1995

There has been concern that living near nuclear installations might increase the risk of cancer, including childhood leukemia, in surrounding communities. Such concern has been voiced by residents in Armstrong and Westmoreland Counties in Western Pennsylvania in conjunction with the operation of two former nuclear materials processing facilities located in the Apollo borough and the Parks township, just three miles apart. These facilities began operating in 1957 and 1960 and processed uranium and plutonium for commercial and naval applications. To evaluate the possibility of increased cancer rates in communities around the Apollo-Parks nuclear facilities, a cancer incidence and a cancer mortality survey were conducted. The county mortality findings are reported here. Nearly 40,000 cancer deaths occurred in the population residing in Armstrong and Westmoreland Counties from 1950 through 1995. Each of these two study counties was matched for comparison to three control counties in the same region on the basis of age, race, urbanization, and socioeconomic factors available from the 1990 U.S. Census. There were over 77,000 cancer deaths in the 6 control counties during the 45 y studied. Following similar methods used by the National Cancer Institute, Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMRs) were computed as the ratio of observed numbers of cancers in the study and control counties compared to the expected number derived from general population rates of the United States. Relative risks (RR) were computed as the ratios of the SMRs for the study and the control counties. There were no significant increases in the study counties for any cancer when comparisons were made with either the U.S. population or the control counties. In particular, deaths due to cancers of the lung, bone, liver, and kidney were not more frequent in the study counties than in the control counties. These are the cancers of a priori interest given that uranium and/or plutonium might be expected to concentrate in these tissues. Deaths from all cancers combined also were not increased in the study counties, and the RRs of cancer mortality before the facilities operated (1950-1964), during plant operations (1965-1980) and after plant closure (1980-1995) were similar: 0.96, 0.95 and 0.98, respectively. For childhood leukemia mortality, the relative risk comparing the study counties with their controls before plant start-up was 1.02, while during operations (RR 0.81) and after closure (RR 0.57) the relative risks were lower. The study is limited by the correlational approach and the relatively large size of the geographic areas of the counties studied.     

Alcohol consumption and alcohol-related mortality in Canada, 1950-2000

OBJECTIVE: To describe trends in overall alcohol consumption and alcohol-related mortality in Canada, and to test regional associations between per capita alcohol consumption and alcohol-related mortality. METHOD: Alcohol sales for 1950-2000 were used to measure total alcohol consumption; alcohol-related mortality consisted of nine different alcohol-related causes of death for 1950-1998. Alcohol consumption and alcohol-related mortality were described for 1950-2000, and measures of dispersion were calculated to assess the homogeneity across regions. FINDINGS: Both alcohol consumption and alcohol-related mortality increased in all regions up to 1975-80 and then underwent a decline until the 1990s. Since 1996, consumption began to increase. Beer represented more than half of the total consumption throughout the study period, although overall, the share of wine increased, particularly in the larger provinces. Over time there have been fewer differences in per capita consumption and alcohol-related mortality rates across the regions. A strong positive cross-regional relationship was observed between explicitly alcohol-related mortality and per capita consumption, whereas cirrhosis showed only a weak geographical association with consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Since 1950, there has been a general trend toward national homogenization, especially with respect to drinking levels but also to alcohol-related mortality. A strikingly close regional relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related mortality suggests that consumption is an important marker of alcohol-related harm in Canada.     

Dust exposure and mortality in chrysotile mining, 1910-75.

We report a further follow-up of a birth cohort of 11 379 workers exposed to chrysotile. The cohort consisted of 10 939 men and 440 women, born 1891-1920, who had worked for at least a month in the mines and mills of Asbestos and Thetford Mines in Quebec. For all subjects, length of service and estimates of accumulated dust exposure were obtained, with a smoking history for the vast majority. Three methods of analysis, two based on the "man-years" methods, the other a "case-and-multiple-controls" approach, gave results consistent with one another and with previous analyses. By the end of 1975, 4463 men and 84 women had died. Among men, the overall excess mortality, 1926-75 was 2% at Asbestos and 10% at Thetford Mines, much the dustier region. The women, mostly employed at Asbestos, had a standardised mortality ratio (SMR) all causes, 1936-75) of 0.90. Analysis of deaths 20 years or more after first employment showed that in men with short service (less than five years) there was no discernible correlation with dust exposure. Among men employed at least 20 years, there were clear excesses in those exposed to the heaviest dust concentrations. Reanalysis in terms of exposure to age 45 showed definite and consistent trends for SMRs for total mortality, for lung cancer, and for pneumoconiosis to be higher the heavier the exposure. The response to increasing dose was effectively linear for lung cancer and for pneumoconiosis. Lung cancer deaths occurred in non-smokers, and showed a greater increase of incidence with increasing exposure than did lung cancer in smokers, but there was insufficient evidence to distinguish between multiplicative and additive risk models. There were no excess deaths from laryngeal cancer, but a clear association with smoking. Ten men and one woman died from pleural mesothelioma. If the only subjects studied had been the 1904 men with at least 20 years' employment in the lower dust concentrations, averaging 6.6 million particles per cubic foot (or about 20 fibres/cc), excess mortality would not have been considered statistically significant, except for pneumoconiosis. The inability of such a large epidemiological survey to detect increased risk at what, today, are considered unacceptable dust concentrations, and the consequent importance of exposure-response models are therefore emphasised.     

梁山县2001～2003年餐饮具消毒监测结果分析

为了解梁山县辖区内学生食堂、职工食堂、宾馆酒店、小餐馆餐饮具卫生状况 ,预防食源性疾病的发生 ,梁山县卫生防疫站于 2 0 0 1～ 2 0 0 3年组织专业人员对梁山县饮食单位餐饮具消毒效果进行抽样检查 ,现将结果报道如下。1　材料和方法1 1　样本来源　　于 2 0 0 1～ 2 0 0 3年对梁山县辖区内学生食堂、职工食堂、宾馆酒店、小餐馆的餐饮具进行了抽样检查。1 2　检测方法及结果判定　　采用大肠菌群纸片法。每包纸片 (10张 )加专用水 1瓶(10ml)浸湿 ,按每份 2张取用 ,贴于餐饮具内侧、表面或其他待测物体表面规定位置 ,30s后取下 ,放于无菌…     

云南省寻甸县1950～2004年传染病流行分析

目的了解寻甸县传染病流行规律和变化趋势,为制定预防控制策略提供科学依据。方法根据寻甸县1950~2004年传染病疫情资料,用描述流行病学方法对各类传染病按时段进行序列统计,分析55年的变化趋势。结果1950~2004年寻甸县共有21种传染病报告,年均发病率从20世纪50年代的3 291.56/10万下降到21世纪的112.33/10万。呼吸道传染病在传染病发病总数中的比重从发病最高的20世纪60年代的79.48%下降到21世纪的15.66%,肠道传染病从20世纪50年代的27.61%上升到21世纪的81.38%。60年代年均发病率高达1 558.40/10万的麻疹在21世纪已降到2.48/10万。肝炎在21世纪已升居首位,肺结核和性传播疾病90年代开始有病例报告,病例逐年上升。结论传染病预防控制效果显著,传染病流行特征和模式已发生重大变化,必须改善和加强防控对策,重点抓好计免相关疾病的控制和性病及新发传染病的监测与控制。     

Primary liver cancer mortality and incidence in Texas Mexican Americans, 1969-80.

During the years 1969-80, primary liver cancer mortality rates for Mexican American males were 2.2 times higher than for other Whites; Mexican American females had rates 2.8 times higher than other White females. Age-specific mortality rates showed even higher risks for older Mexican Americans exceeding both other White and Black rates three to four-fold. Incidence data for El Paso County (Texas) confirmed the increased risk for Mexican American males (risk ratio = 2.3) and females (risk ratio = 13.7). Cirrhosis mortality was also higher in Texas Mexican Americans but risk ratios were not as large as seen for primary liver cancer.     

普安县2001-2006年居民食用碘盐监测分析

目的评估普安县居民户碘盐监测结果,全面、准确了解普安县居民碘盐食用情况。方法根据《贵州省碘盐监测实施方案》要求,每年对9个乡镇36个行政村采集盐样288份按国标GB/T 13025.7-1999进行测定。结果普安县2001-2006年共检测居民户盐样1 728份,其中非碘盐9份,不合格碘盐85份,合格碘盐1 634份,碘盐覆盖率、碘盐合格率分别为99.5%、94.6%。结论普安县居民户碘盐食用情况总体较好,达到消除碘缺乏病目标要求,还需加强监督监测,强化健康促进,以确保各项措施得到长期落实。