[Cancer mortality among rubber industry workers in São Paulo, Brazil].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate cancer deaths among rubber industry workers according to company size.


METHODS
This historical cohort study included 9,188 male workers, engaged as members of a workers' union in São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, between 1975 and 1985, alive in January 1990 and followed until the end of 2000. Overall and specific cancer deaths were compared within the cohort, with subjects stratified according to company size and economic activity, sector of work, and worker qualification. Risk set assessment and conditional logistic regression were used to estimate relative risks, adjusted for age, time since first job, and duration of employment in the rubber industry.


RESULTS
When compared to employees of larger companies, workers employed in small companies showed greater risk of death due to any type of cancer (RR=2.33, 95% CI: 0.90-6.03), stomach tumors (RR=3.47; 95% CI: 2.57-4.67), and upper aero-digestive tract tumors (RR=2.49; 95% CI: 1.78-3.48). Risk of death was greater among workers employed in maintenance (RR=2.23; 95% CI: 0.73-6.76); expedition, storage and transportation (RR=2.97; 95% CI: 0.77-11.38); and production (RR=3.51; 95% CI: 1.07-11.57), when compared to workers engaged in clerical work and support activities.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results provide further evidence for an increased risk of stomach and upper aero-digestive tract tumors--and possibly of all types of cancer--among rubber industry workers employed in small companies when compared to employees of larger companies.
Secretaria do Verde e Meio Ambiente, Município de São Paulo, Rua do Paraíso 387 10o andar, 04103-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil. helion@prefeitura.sp.gov.br
Hélio
H
Neves
José Eduardo Cajado
JE
Moncau
Paulo Roberto
PR
Kaufmann
Victor
V
Wünsch Filho
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019652:Extraction and Processing Industry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012408:Rubber
D012408:Rubber