Cancer incidence of sulfite pulp workers in Denmark

Rix, Bo Andreassen; Villadsen, Ebbe; Lynge, Elsebeth

doi:10.5271/sjweh.269

Cited by 17 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Earlier investigations among pulp and paper workers (7,30) and wood workers (3 1) all concluded that the increased risk for lung cancer could not be explained by smoking alone. We observed the highest risk among sulfite mill workers, a finding in agreement with that of other reports (3,32). Sulfur dioxide is a major air contaminant in sulfite mills, and nearly all process workers involved in cooking, washing, and other operations are exposed to this chemical.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Cancer incidence among male pulp and paper workers in Norway

Langseth¹,

Andersen²

2000

Scand J Work Environ Health

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Objectives The study investigated cancer incidence among 23 718 male pulp and paper workers employed continuously for at least 1 year between 1920 and 1993 in Norway. Methods The name, date of birth, personal identification number, dates of hire and termination for all employment periods, specific department, and job categories were registered for each worker. Six subcohorts were established (sulfite mill, sulfate mill, paper mill, maintenance department, administrative staff and other departments). Data on the cohort were linked with data in the Norwegian Cancer Register. The follow-up period for cancer incidence, date of death, or emigration was from 1953 through 1993. Results An excess incidence of lung cancer was found among both short-and long-term employees [standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 1.5, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.13-2.03 and SIR 1.2, 95% CI 1.09-1.34, respectively], especially for workers with the longest latency (SIR 1.3,95% CI 1.08-1.44) and for sulfite mill workers (SIR 1.5,95% CI 1.09-1.99). The risk for pleural mesothelioma was also increased (SIR 2.4,95% CI 1.45-3.75), especially among maintenance workers. The results also showed an increased risk for malignant melanoma (SIR 1.3,95% CI 1.04-1.60), an unexpected finding. C O~C~U S~O~S Almost all the increased risk for lung cancer can be explained by a combination of smoking habits and asbestos use, although an effect of other work-related exposures (sulfur and chloride compounds, wood dust) cannot be excluded. Most of the cases of pleural mesothelioma occurred in departments where asbestos was used. There is no clear explanation for the excess of malignant melanoma, and the finding may be a chance occurrence.Key terms lung cancer, malignant melanoma, occupational cohort, pleural mesothelioma, pulp and paper mills.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Cancer incidence among male pulp and paper workers in Norway

Langseth¹,

Andersen²

2000

Scand J Work Environ Health

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“…Risk factors for skin melanoma are mainly related to skin constitution, intermittent sun exposure, and the propensity to sunburn (28); controlling for these factors was not possible in our study. Evidence for occupational risk factors in the pulp and paper industry was not documented for skin melanoma in a large case-referent study with exposure assessment (29), nor reported in cancer incidence studies carried out in this industry (15)(16)(17). The incidence rates of both prostate cancer and skin melanoma in British Columbia are significantly increased when compared with Canadian rates (21); thereby the possibility of an overestimated risk in our study is raised.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

“…The association with rectal cancer among the long-term workers in the sulfite process was difficult to interpret. Such a relationship has been reported in a mortality study (4), but in none of the incidence studies (15)(16)(17). The excess risk for pleural cancer probably represents past asbestos exposure (1,23), since all except 1 of the 10 cases were mesotheliomas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

“…Cancer risks significantly associated with work duration and time from first employment of ≥15 years were observed for cancer of the pleura, kidney and brain in the total cohort, for kidney cancer among the kraft mill workers only, for Hodgkin's disease among the sulfite mill workers only, and for esophageal cancer among the workers ever employed in both kraft and sulfite mills. Epidemiologic studies specifically designed to investigate pulp and paper workers have mainly been mortality studies (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14), with only 3 reporting cancer incidence results (15)(16)(17). This report presents the cancer incidence outcomes of 28 278 members of the British Columbia pulp and paper cohort.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Cohort cancer incidence among pulp and paper mill workers in British Columbia

Band¹,

Le²,

Fang³

et al. 2001

Scand J Work Environ Health

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cancer incidence among pulp and paper mill workers in British Columbia. Scand J Work Environ Health 2001;27(2):113-119.Objectives A study was conducted to investigate cancer risks in a cohort of pulp and paper workers. Methods All male workers with ≥1 years of employment in 14 pulp and paper mills in 1950-1992 were studied. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were used to compare the cancer incidence of the cohort with that of the Canadian male population. Record linkage with the National Cancer Registry was performed using the generalized iterative record linkage method.Results Altogether 1756 cancer cases were observed in the entire cohort. For ≥15 years of work, the entire cohort had significantly increased SIR values for pleural and prostate cancer and skin melanoma; there was also a significantly increased risk for skin melanoma among workers in the kraft process only, rectal cancer among workers in the sulfite process only, and stomach and prostate cancer and all leukemias combined among workers in both the kraft and sulfite processes. A separate analysis comparing workers in pulping and papermaking with those in the pulping process only did not reveal any difference in cancer risk and hence did not modify the results. The SIR values for skin melanoma were not significantly increased in a comparison using the British Columbia male population. Nine of 10 pleural cancers were mesotheliomas, which likely reflect past asbestos exposure. ConclusionsThe results suggest that long-term work in the pulp and paper industry is associated with excess risks of prostate and stomach cancers and all leukemias for work in both kraft and sulfite processes and of rectal cancer for work in the sulfite process only.

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“…All workers employed in 1960, 1970 or both years in pulp mills (N=28 142, industrial codes 260 and 261) and paper mills (N=39 169, industrial codes 262 and 264, including the paper packaging industry), as well as different occupations in pulp and paper mills were compared with all gainfully employed Swedish men. Occupational codes for the workers in pulp and paper mills were combined and analyzed according to worktasks: chemical process workers (occupational codes 830-839); maintenance workers, broadly defined (occupational codes 700-799), "chemistry workers"; mostly chemistry technicians working in process operations (occupational codes 4,11,14); and "packers", paper product workers and packers (occupational codes 857, 881). Single occupational codes with more than three cases were also analyzed and reported.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%