Asbestos exposure, smoking habits, and cancer incidence among production and maintenance workers in an electrochemical plant

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985 · Am. J. Ind. Med.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.4700080608· OSTI ID:5799426

Hilt, B; Langard, S A; Andersen, A; Rosenberg, J

The incidence of cancer was studied in a cohort of 287 men who were exposed to asbestos at a nitric acid production plant from 1928 onwards. During the observation period from 1953 through 1980 all cancer cases among the cohort members were identified in The Cancer Registry. For the whole cohort 42 cases of cancer were observed versus 30.6 expected. The figures for cancer of the lungs and pleura combined were 17 observed versus 3.7 expected. The corresponding figures for a heavily exposed subcohort were 11 observed and 1.2 expected. In that group there was also an increased incidence of colon cancer with 3 cases observed against 0.8 cases expected. Within the whole cohort four cases of pleural and one case of peritoneal malignant mesothelioma were found. There was also an increased incidence of malignant melanoma of the skin with 3 cases observed against 0.6 expected. For cancer cases that were registered as of unknown origin there were 7 cases observed and 1.4 expected. There was no increased rate ratio for cancer at any site before 20 years after the first asbestos exposure. The smoking habits of all cohort members were recorded and the relative rates for lung cancer were calculated in relation to smoking habits. In common with previous studies the results indicate a multiplicative model for the interaction between asbestos exposure and smoking in regard to lung cancer risk.

• OSTI ID: 5799426
• Journal Information: Am. J. Ind. Med.; (United States), Vol. 6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ASBESTOS
CARCINOGENESIS
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
HEALTH HAZARDS
LARGE INTESTINE
NEOPLASMS
LUNGS
PLEURA
SKIN
MELANOMAS
DISEASE INCIDENCE
NITRATES
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PERSONNEL
RISK ASSESSMENT
TOBACCO SMOKES
TOXICITY
AEROSOLS
BODY
COLLOIDS
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
HAZARDS
INDUSTRY
INTESTINES
MEMBRANES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PATHOGENESIS
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SEROUS MEMBRANES
SMOKES
SOLS
560306* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Man- (-1987)