Cancer incidence among workers at a satellite manufacturing facility.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate cancer incidence overall and renal cancer in particular among workers at the Valley Forge satellite manufacturing complex in Pennsylvania. A previous mortality study observed a slightly elevated risk estimate for brain cancer.


METHODS
A cohort of 27,586 workers, employed between 1962 and 2008 and alive in 1990 when cancer follow-up began, was investigated. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated.


RESULTS
A total of 4303 incident cancers were diagnosed. The SIRs were significantly reduced for all cancers (0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85 to 0.90) and several site-specific cancers. The renal cancer SIR was 1.00 (95% CI, 0.84 to 1.19) and the brain cancer SIR was 1.17 (95% CI, 0.90 to 1.49).


CONCLUSIONS
This cancer incidence study of satellite manufacturing workers found no convincing evidence of increased cancer risk overall, or for renal or brain cancer in particular.
International Epidemiology Institute, Rockville, Md 20850, USA.
Joseph K
JK
McLaughlin
Jennifer S
JS
Sonderman
Robert E
RE
Tarone
Michael T
MT
Mumma
Loren
L
Lipworth
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007221:Industry; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010414:Pennsylvania; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018531:Spacecraft