Cancer incidence and mortality among workers exposed to benzidine.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

A historical cohort study was conducted among 997 individuals employed at a chemical production facility to investigate whether occupational exposures to benzidine and other arylamines were associated with the increased risk of cancer.

METHODS:

Cancers were identified from cancer registries, death certificates, and medical records. Exposures were evaluated using a job-exposure matrix. Workers were categorized into exposure groups to calculate cancer-specific standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and perform survival analyses.

RESULTS:

SIRs for cancer of the bladder (SIR = 3.5; CI 1.7, 6.4), small intestine (SIR 18.4; CI 2.2, 66.4), and soft tissue including heart (SIR = 11.9; CI 1.4, 42.8) were elevated among workers with the highest exposures and risk increased with increasing exposures. SIRs for several additional cancers were also elevated.

CONCLUSION:

Our results support previous findings of increased risk of bladder cancer among individuals exposed to benzidine and other arylamines. Workers may also have been at increased risk for cancers other than cancer of the bladder.

• Authors: Shannon Cameron Brown, Risa Alberts, Mark Schoenberg
• Journal: American journal of industrial medicine (Am J Ind Med) Vol. 54 Issue 4 Pg. 300-6 (Apr 2011) ISSN: 1097-0274 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21328418 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Chemical References

• Benzidines
• benzidine

Topics

• Adult
• Age Distribution
• Aged
• Benzidines (adverse effects)
• Cause of Death
• Chemical Industry
• Cohort Studies
• Connecticut (epidemiology)
• Female
• Humans
• Incidence
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms (chemically induced, epidemiology, pathology)
• Occupational Exposure (adverse effects)
• Occupational Health
• Proportional Hazards Models
• Registries
• Retrospective Studies
• Risk Assessment
• Sex Distribution
• Survival Analysis