Medical surveillance for leukemia at a petrochemical manufacturing complex: four-year summary.
Four-year results are presented on 2086 participants of a medical surveillance program of current and retired employees at a manufacturing complex in Illinois. Annual complete blood cell count testing and intensive follow-up of all out-of-normal-range results began in 1985 on a voluntary basis. The program to date has not identified any evidence for an unusual distribution of out-of-range complete blood cell count results. Active employees with out-of-range complete blood cell count values had no increase in adverse health outcomes compared with those with in-range values. Retired employees with out-of-range values were more likely to have a serious underlying medical condition, but this appeared to be more a function of age than of occupational exposure. Four cases of myelodysplastic syndrome were brought to our attention as a result of the program, but there is no similarly followed population available for comparison to determine whether this represents an increase over expected cases. The lack of correlation of out-of-range complete blood cell count results in active employees with serious hematologic disease raises significant questions about the utility of such surveillance for chemically exposed groups (eg, benzene-exposed workers) when exposure levels are low and well controlled.
Cowles
S R
SR
Shell Oil Company, Corporate Medical Department, Houston, Texas 77252-2463.
Bennett
J M
JM
Ross
C E
CE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010578:Petroleum / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors
D010578:Petroleum