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Occupational Medicine Advance Access published online on September 20, 2005
Occupational Medicine, doi:10.1093/occmed/kqi145
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Article

A cancer incidence and mortality study of Dow Chemical Canada Inc. manufacturing sites

Carol Burns 1*, Ken Harrison 1, Brenda Jammer 1, Dores Zuccarini 1, and Bryan Lafrance 1

1 The Dow Chemical Company--Epidemiology, 1803 Building, Midland, MI 48674, USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Carol Burns, E-mail: cburns{at}dow.com


  Abstract

Background Previously, the mortality was reported in a cohort of male workers at an Ontario chemical plant.

Aims To expand the cohort and to investigate the mortality and cancer incidence risk among chemical manufacturing sites.

Methods We followed 5277 men and 1301 women from 1950 to 1999.

Results Employees experienced lower mortality and cancer incidence rates than the general population for several major causes of death, including heart disease, respiratory cancer and many other cancers. There were no cases of angiosarcoma of the liver. We observed a lower mortality rate of prostate cancer [standardized mortality ratio = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.43-1.32], but a higher incidence rate of prostate cancer [standardized incidence ratio (SIR) = 1.22, 95% CI 1.00-1.48]. Among the Sarnia employees, the incidence of pleural neoplasms was increased (5 observed versus 1.48 expected, SIR = 3.37, 95% CI 1.09-7.86). These cancers were included in the 12 deaths with malignant mesothelioma at Sarnia.

Conclusion Consistent with the earlier report, lower mortality rates were observed for the major classifications of disease and malignant neoplasms. The higher incidence rates of prostate cancer are not readily explainable but may reflect increased screening among current employees and recent retirees. Past asbestos exposure prior to 1980 is probably a contributor to the deaths due to malignant mesothelioma but is not reflected in lung cancer mortality. We find little indication of any other increased rates of mortality or cancer within the overall workforce of these chemical plants.

Keywords: Asbestos; cohort; epidemiology; occupation exposure.
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