[Malignant tumor incidence in employees of the Alytus textile factory (1978-1997)].
The purpose of this study was to evaluate cancer incidence in the large cotton-manufacturing factory in Lithuania. Altogether 10,198 workers employed at least 1 year in 1969-1997 were included in the cohort and followed during the period 1978/01/01-1997/12/31. National cancer rates were used to calculate the expected number of cancer cases. The overall cancer risk for men was slightly higher than that in the general population (standardized incidence rate (SIR) 1.15, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.98-1.34). A significant increase in the incidence of esophagus (11 observed cases, SIR 3.76, 95% CI 1.88-6.67) and slightly increased of lung (42 observed cases, SIR 1.26, 95% CI 0.91-1.70) cancer became evident. None of the cancer risk showed statistically significant excess cancer incidence in the textile-processing (spinning and weaving) departments (SIR 0.98). In the women cohort the level of the general incidence was very close to expected, standardized incidence rates (SIR) being 0.99 (95% CI 0.88-1.13). However, there was a significant increase in the number of cases of gall bladder (6 observed, SIR 3.19, 95% CI 1.17-6.95). The analysis of the results among textile-processing (spinning and weaving departments) workers indicated the elevated risk of breast cancer (44 observed cases, SIR 1.49, 95% CI 1.08-2.0) and cervical cancer (24 observed cases, SIR 1.68, 95% CI 1.08-2.50). The number of lung cancer cases in this group was a higher, but statistically not significant (5 observed cases, SIR 1.53, 95% CI 0.5-3.58). Increased SIR values were observed for > or = 10 years since the first exposure for all cancers, cervix uteri, ovary and kidney.


CONCLUSIONS
The overall cancer risk for men cohort was slightly higher than that in the general population. There was a significant increase in the number of cancer of the esophagus. The overall excess risk in women cohort was only for gall bladder, but for spinners and weavers the elevated risk was for cervix uteri and breast cancer. After 10 years of employment the excess risk was already for all cancers, cervix uteri, ovary and kidney malignant tumors.
Kuzmickiene
Irena
I
Vilniaus universiteto Onkologijos institutas, Naviku epidemiologijos grupe, Polocko 2, 2007 Vilnius. ikuzmickiene@centras.lt
Stukonis
Mecys
M
Didziapetris
Remigijus
R
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009790:Occupations; D012307:Risk Factors; D013783:Textile Industry; D013997:Time Factors