title: Mortality and cancer incidence in aluminum smelter workers: a 5-year update.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the mortality and cancer incidence of aluminum smelter workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The experience of 17,089 workers between 1950 and 2004 was studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 25 deaths/47 female incident cancers and 6350 deaths/3984 male incident cancers. Mortality was significantly elevated for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer disease (likely influenced by regional factors), all cancers, stomach, bladder, and lung cancers. Incidence was significantly elevated for bladder, lung, and laryngeal cancers. Digestive, lung, and bladder cancer mortality and lung, bladder, and buccal cancer incidence increased significantly with benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) exposure. Over time lung cancer risk has diminished but bladder cancer risk has not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bladder cancer incidence was not increased at B(a)P exposures below 40 μg/m·yr. Occupational origins for other cancers occurring above expected rates but probably unrelated to B(a)P exposure cannot be excluded. In the prebake plant, nonsignificant increases of lung cancer were observed between 2000 and 2004.
authors.affiliation: From the Safety Health Environment International Consultants Corp. (Dr Gibbs), Devon, and Department of Medicine, University of Alberta; Departments of Environmental and Occupational Health and of Social and Preventive Medicine (Dr Labrèche), Université de Montréal; and Institut de Recherche Robert Sauvé en Santé et en Securité du Travail (Dr Labrèche, Mr Busque, and Mr Duguay), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Graham W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.forename: France
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Labrèche
authors.forename: Marc-Antoine
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Busque
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duguay
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008669:Metallurgy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene; D000535:Aluminum