Cancer mortality in a cohort of asbestos textile workers

A cohort of 889 men and 1077 women employed for at least 1 month between 1946 and 1984 by a former Italian leading asbestos (mainly textile) company, characterised by extremely heavy exposures often for short durations, was followed up to 1996, for a total of 53 024 person-years of observation. Employment data were obtained from factory personnel records, while vital status and causes of death were ascertained through municipality registers and local health units. We observed 222 cancer deaths compared with 116.4 expected (standardized mortality ratio, SMR=191). The highest ratios were found for pleural (SMR=4105), peritoneal (SMR=1817) and lung (SMR=282) cancers. We observed direct relationships with duration of employment for lung and peritoneal cancer, and with time since first employment for lung cancer and mesothelioma. Pleural cancer risk was independent from duration (SMR=3428 for employment <1 year, 7659 for 1–4 years, 2979 for 5–9 years and 2130 for ⩾10 years). Corresponding SMRs for lung cancer were 139, 251, 233 and 531. Nonsignificantly increased ratios were found for ovarian (SMR=261), laryngeal (SMR=238) and oro-pharyngeal (SMR=226) cancers. This study confirms and further quantifies the central role of latency in pleural mesothelioma and of cumulative exposure in lung cancer

Mortality among workers in the geothermal power plants at Larderello, Italy

Background Since the early 1990s, various European electricity companies have set up a research program, named EURELEX, devoted to the development of a comprehensive and validated title-occupation -job-exposure matrix (i.e., an instrument to assess exposures from occupations and jobs), in order to estimate and quantify, past exposure to a number of potentially carcinogenic agents plus a few selected other toxic substances. The EURELEX program was first applied in Italy to a cohort of geothermal workers in Larderello, Tuscany. Methods The cohort mortality study comprised 4,237 men who had worked at the geothermal power plant between 1950 and 1990. Vital status and death certificates were obtained from registration offices in the municipality of birth or death. Particular attention was paid to neoplastic effects of exposure to asbestos, largely used in the past for pipeline insulating purposes The matrix allowed the workers to be subdivided into several categories according to estimated asbestos exposure. Smoking information was not available. Results No excess mortality was found for all causes and total cancer mortality. A small excess of pleural cancer (2 obs. vs 1.4 exp.) was not statistically significant The effect of other agents included in the matrix was also examined: the small excess of leukemia among those exposed to solvents prior to 1963 (year of benzene ban in Italy) did not reach the level of statistical significance. No cases of leukemia were found among the workers presumed to have been exposed to important ELF electromagnetic fields. Conclusion The study provides reassuring information, on a large cohort of a unique geothermal power plant since no significant excess mortality for asbestos related cancers was observed Furthermore, it represents a useful application and validation of a comprehensive job-exposure matrix for the electric industry in Europe. Am. J. Ind. Med. 35:536-539, 1999, (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Cancer mortality in a cohort of asbestos textile workers

A cohort of 889 men and 1077 women employed for at least 1 month between 1946 and 1984 by a former Italian leading asbestos ( mainly textile) company, characterised by extremely heavy exposures often for short durations, was followed up to 1996, for a total of 53 024 person- years of observation. Employment data were obtained from factory personnel records, while vital status and causes of death were ascertained through municipality registers and local health units. We observed 222 cancer deaths compared with 116.4 expected ( standardized mortality ratio, SMR = 191). The highest ratios were found for pleural ( SMR = 4105), peritoneal ( SMR = 1817) and lung ( SMR = 282) cancers. We observed direct relationships with duration of employment for lung and peritoneal cancer, and with time since first employment for lung cancer and mesothelioma. Pleural cancer risk was independent from duration ( SMR = 3428 for employment < 1 year, 7659 for 1 - 4 years, 2979 for 5 - 9 years and 2130 for &GE; 10 years). Corresponding SMRs for lung cancer were 139, 251, 233 and 531. Nonsignificantly increased ratios were found for ovarian ( SMR = 261), laryngeal ( SMR = 238) and oro- pharyngeal ( SMR = 226) cancers. This study confirms and further quantifies the central role of latency in pleural mesothelioma and of cumulative exposure in lung cancer