title: Cancer incidence of Nordic asphalt workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate cancer risk following employment in the asphalt industry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cancer incidence was studied among 22 362 male asphalt workers employed for more than one season in jobs entailing exposure to bitumen (mainly road pavers) in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. These workers are part of a European cohort of asphalt workers, for which results on mortality have been reported. The follow-up was almost complete, and reference rates were obtained from national cancer registries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of cancer was reduced in all four countries [overall standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 0.89, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.86-0.94]. Lung cancer incidence was increased in all four countries, yielding an overall SIR of 1.21 (95% CI 1.07-1.36), but no trend was detected according to time since first employment. No overall increased incidence of bladder cancer was observed, but there was a suggestion of a tendency towards higher risk with longer time since first employment, with a relative risk of 1.85 (95% CI 0.90-3.78) for more than 30 years versus 1-14 years (P-value for trend 0.1). The incidence of lip and stomach cancer was nonsignificantly increased, and the excess was present mainly in Denmark. No increased incidence was detected for other neoplasms, notably malignant melanoma, nonmelanoma skin cancer, and kidney cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study confirm the pattern of cancer risk detected in the mortality analysis of the European cohort; in addition, they provide suggestive evidence of an excess risk of bladder cancer among asphalt workers.
authors.affiliation: Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Britt Grethe
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Randem
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Burstyn
authors.forename: Sverre
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Langård
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Svane
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Järvholm
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kauppinen
authors.forename: Ingvar A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Bergdahl
authors.forename: Christoffer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.forename: Johnni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Partanen
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kromhout
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferro
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boffetta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons; C006647:asphalt