Epidemiologic study of cancer mortality among Israeli asphalt workers.
BACKGROUND
We describe the results of a cancer mortality study among asphalt workers in Israel.


METHODS
Personal identifiers and employment histories of 2,176 workers were extracted from company records.


RESULTS
Mortality from all malignant neoplasms was significantly reduced in the whole cohort (SMR 0.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.56-0.83). SMR for lung cancer was elevated in workers exposed to bitumen (SMR 1.05, 95% CI 0.62-1.66). No significant elevation or reduction in mortality was observed in relation to a specific site. SMRs for lung cancer was higher among ever exposed to bitumen than among unexposed. There was no association between lung cancer risk and estimated exposure to bitumen fume, and no dose-response was apparent.


CONCLUSIONS
While the results of this cohort study indicate a slightly increased SMR for lung cancer, it did not produce evidence of a causal link between lung cancer and exposure to bitumen fume.
Shaham
Judith
J
Occupational Cancer Department, National Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 3, Raanana, Israel. judiths@ioh.org.il
Knecht
Yael
Y
Burstyn
Igor
I
Kromhout
Hans
H
Ferro
Gilles
G
Partanen
Timo
T
Boffetta
Paolo
P
D000328:Adult; D015984:Causality; D002423:Cause of Death; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D016012:Poisson Distribution
D006838:Hydrocarbons; C006647:asphalt