Cancer among women textile workers in Shanghai, China: overall incidence patterns, 1989-1998.
BACKGROUND
Cancer incidence in women textile workers has not been adequately studied. The aim of this study was to examine site-specific cancer incidence patterns in a cohort of 267,400 women textile workers in Shanghai, China.


METHODS
Women employed by the Shanghai Textile Industry Bureau (STIB) were followed for cancer incidence from 1989 to 1998. Age-adjusted standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed based on Shanghai Cancer Registry (SCR) rates.


RESULTS
There was a decrease in cancer incidence for the cohort compared with urban Shanghai women (SIR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.89-0.93). There were small increased risks of other endocrine tumors (SIR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.02-1.65). There were decreased risks for esophageal (SIR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.44-0.66), stomach (SIR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.73-0.85), rectal (SIR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.78-0.98), lung (SIR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.74-0.86), cervical (SIR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.28-0.50), ovarian (SIR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.75-0.96), and bladder cancers (SIR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.46-0.85).


CONCLUSIONS
Women employed in the textile industry had a lower than expected cancer experience compared with urban Shanghai women. Further research on this cohort will examine associations between site-specific cancers and occupational exposures to dusts and chemicals.
Wernli
Karen J
KJ
Program in Epidemiology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109-1024, USA.
Ray
Roberta M
RM
Gao
Dao Li
DL
Thomas
David B
DB
Checkoway
Harvey
H
D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013783:Textile Industry; D017132:Workplace