Lung cancer mortality and carbon black exposure: uncertainties of SMR analyses in a cohort study at a German carbon black production plant.
OBJECTIVE
We undertook a sensitivity analysis of the lung cancer standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) in a study of 1522 German carbon black workers from 1976 to 1998.


METHODS
We applied results from a case-control study to adjust the SMR for smoking habits and exposures experienced before the carbon black job. In addition, sensitivity to reference rates was explored.


RESULTS
On the basis of 47 lung cancer deaths, the SMRs were 1.62, 1.72, and 2.08 (local, state, and national rates, respectively). Adjustment for previous exposures and smoking yielded additional correction factors of 0.64 or 0.74, varying with the chosen reference.


CONCLUSIONS
Lung cancer SMRs (95% confidence intervals) for the full cohort ranged from 1.20 (0.88-1.59) to 2.08 (1.53-2.77) in this sensitivity analysis. Thus, overall SMRs are only weak measures of causal associations and should be complemented by internal modeling of exposure effects whenever possible.
Morfeld
Peter
P
Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeitsmedizin, Sozialmedizin und Sozialhygiene der Universität zu Köln, Cologne, Germany. Peter.Morfeld@RAG.de
Büchte
Sebastian F
SF
McCunney
Robert J
RJ
Piekarski
Claus
C
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D016015:Logistic Models; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D053260:Soot / Q000009:adverse effects*
D053260:Soot