Mortality pattern among biological research laboratory workers

Abstract

Summary A cohort study was conducted to investigate the mortality of individuals employed by biological research institutes in the UK. The inclusion criteria were met by 12703 individuals, of whom 95% were traced (11 502 alive, 395 deaths, 246 embarkations). All-cause mortality was significantly reduced in men (standardised) mortality ratio (SMR) 55 and women (SMR 52). Mortality was also significantly reduced for circulatory and respiratory diseases, and overall there was low mortality from malignant neoplasms. SMRs exceeded 100, but were not statistically significant, for infective and parasitic diseases. There were no statistically significant raised SMRs for any cancer site. Workers were categorised as ever worked in a laboratory (laboratory workers) and never worked in a laboratory (non-laboratory workers). The all-cause SMR was significantly reduced in both groups, as was mortality from circulatory and respiratory diseases. The SMR for malignant neoplams was also significantly reduced in laboratory workers. On the basis of follow-up to 31 December 1994, there is no evidence of any overall increased risk of mortality in biological research laboratory workers. However, the power of the analysis is limited by the young age of many cohort members and short duration of follow-up. Follow-up is continuing and the data will be reanalysed once more deaths have accumulated.

A cohort mortality study of chemical laboratory workers at Department of Energy Nuclear Plants

“…Consistent with previous studies of chemical laboratory workers [Hoar and Pell, 1981;Maher and Defonso, 1986;Dosemeci et al, 1992;Hunter et al, 1993;Brown et al, 1996] there are non-statistically significant elevations for cancer of the connective tissue, and mental disorders, primarily senile dementia (11 of 14 deaths due to mental disorders). There is also a non-significant elevation of brain cancer deaths among females, a finding that is consistent with other studies of laboratory workers [Olin and Ahlbom, 1980;Belli et al, 1992;Hunter et al, 1993;Cordier et al, 1995].…”

“…Study results for cancers of the digestive system, brain, and bone are equivocal, with some reporting elevations [Daly et al, 1994;Cordier et al, 1995;Sorahan et al, 1998;Wennborg et al, 1999;Kauppinen et al, 2003] and others reporting no elevations [Dosemeci et al, 1992;Brown et al, 1996;Andersen et al, 1999]. Previous cohort studies have reported elevations in genitourinary cancers (bladder, kidney, and prostate) among laboratory workers [Silverman et al, 1989[Silverman et al, , 1990Dosemeci et al, 1992;Daly et al, 1994;Cordier et al, 1995;Wennborg et al, 1999].…”

Mortality and cancer incidence in biomedical laboratory personnel in Sweden

“…Increased risk for bladder cancer, O/E ratio ϭ 9.31 (1.9-27.2), was found in Irish male laboratory workers [Daly et al, 1994]. Furthermore, SMRs for lymphohematopoietic malignancies were elevated in some studies [Belli et al, 1992;Brown et al, 1996]. However, in the present study the SIRs for pancreatic cancer and lymphohematopoietic malignancies show no excess for any of these cancer sites.…”

“…This is probably caused by a selection of individuals with a more favorable health status and healthy life style in university occupations (the ''healthy worker effect''); similar findings were noted in the British [Brown et al, 1996], Irish [Daly et al, 1994], and Italian [Belli et al, 1992] studies, as well as in the French study . However, certain findings merit consideration: increased SIR values for brain tumors in male laboratory scientists, as well as for breast cancer and malignant melanoma in female laboratory scientists.…”

“…Some of these studies showed a slightly increased mortality for brain tumors [Belli et al, 1992;Cordier et al, 1995], for hematopoietic system malignancies [Belli et al, 1992], pancreatic cancer [Belli et al, 1992;Cordier et al, 1995], bone cancer , bladder cancer [Daly et al, 1994], as well as breast cancer in women [Belli et al, 1992]. However, in a British study [Brown et al, 1996], no excess for brain or pancreatic tumors was found.…”