Cancer incidence and mortality among beta-naphthylamine and benzidine dye workers in Moscow.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Cancer incidence and mortality were evaluated among 4581 aniline dye production workers in Moscow.

METHODS:

A historical cohort was assembled and followed-up from 1 January 1975 to 31 December 1989. Moscow district oncologic dispensary registries furnished case ascertainment and employer records provided job exposure data. Expected cancers and deaths were calculated based on gender-, age-, and calendar time-specific incidence and mortality rates for the Moscow general population applied to the cohort's person-years of follow-up. Disease-specific standardized mortality and incidence values were derived from ratios of observed to expected cancers.

RESULTS:

Men experienced elevated total cancer mortality (standardized mortality ratio [SMR] = 125; 95% CI: 110-142) and urinary bladder cancer mortality (SMR = 279; 95% CI: 192-391), and increased all malignancy (standardized incidence ratio [SIR] = 142; 95% CI: 125-160), oesophageal (SIR = 203; 95% CI: 108-347), respiratory tract (SIR = 154; 95% CI: 120-194) and bladder (SIR = 394; 95% CI: 268-559) cancer incidence. Women had elevated oesophageal (SMR = 313; 95% CI: 124-664) and bladder (SMR = 311; 95% CI: 149-571) cancer mortality and elevated all malignancy (SIR = 124; 95% CI: 106-144), oesophageal (SIR = 348; 95% CI: 140-719), and bladder (SIR = 861; 95% CI: 458-8002) cancer incidence. Bladder cancer rate increased with employment duration and younger age first hired. Rate estimates were highest among beta-naphthylamine exposed workers but was also increased among workers with other chemical exposures. A cancer prevention and control effort that limited benzidine exposure to < or = 3 years was apparently unsuccessful as indicated by a significant excess of bladder cancer (SIR = 1773; 95% CI: 356-5180) among these workers.

CONCLUSION:

Relative rates of oesophageal, lung, and stomach cancer were also elevated among all workers, but did not increase with total years worked, age first hired, or year first hired, suggesting a non-occupational aetiology.

• Authors: M A Bulbulyan, L W Figgs, S H Zahm, T Savitskaya, A Goldfarb, S Astashevsky, D Zaridze
• Journal: International journal of epidemiology (Int J Epidemiol) Vol. 24 Issue 2 Pg. 266-75 (Apr 1995) ISSN: 0300-5771 [Print] England
• PMID: 7635585 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Benzidines
• Coloring Agents
• 2-Naphthylamine

Topics

• 2-Naphthylamine (adverse effects)
• Adult
• Aged
• Benzidines (adverse effects)
• Coloring Agents (adverse effects)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Incidence
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Moscow (epidemiology)
• Neoplasms (chemically induced, epidemiology, mortality)
• Occupational Exposure (adverse effects)
• Risk Factors
• Sex Factors
• Time Factors
• Urinary Bladder Neoplasms (chemically induced)