Bladder cancer screening program for a petrochemical cohort with potential exposure to beta-napthylamine.
Approximately 1800 workers in pipe manufacturing plants in the United States may have been exposed to beta-napthlyamnine between 1970 and 1996. Once the chemical was detected, the contaminated additive in the resin was identified and discontinued. A bladder cancer-screening program was initiated in 1999. An annual two-stage screening program was developed to test for microscopic hematuria (stage one) and cytology (stage two), with a urology referral of positive or suspicious cytology. This paper presents the program methodology, cohort enumeration, recruitment, and enrollment strategies, and screening protocol. Enrollment data from the first 3 years are presented. Annual screening of a cohort of current and former employees is feasible. Original personnel records are often incomplete, making cohort identification important. Personal contact and follow-up are key elements of successful recruitment and retention.
Felknor
Sarah A
SA
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Houston, TX, USA. sfelknor@sph.uth.tmc.edu
Delclos
George L
GL
Lerner
Seth P
SP
Burau
Keith D
KD
Wood
Susan M
SM
Lusk
Christine M
CM
Jalayer
Annette D
AD
D015081:2-Naphthylamine; D002617:Chemical Industry; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006417:Hematuria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014556:Urine / Q000166:cytology
D015081:2-Naphthylamine