title: Mortality and cancer incidence at a fire training college.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An investigation into concerns about possible health effects of fire training practices at an Australian training facility recommended a study to investigate the risk of cancer and mortality of those with risk of chronic occupational exposure to several chemicals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate mortality and cancer incidence in firefighters at the Country Fire Authority (CFA) Fiskville training facility, Victoria, Australia, between 1971 and 1999.
  
  
  METHODS
  CFA supplied human resources records, supplemented by self-reported information for a retrospective cohort, and allocated firefighters to low, medium or high groups based on probability of exposure. We linked the cohort to state and national cancer and mortality data. We calculated standardized mortality ratios and standardized cancer incidence ratios (SIRs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The high group (n = 95) had a clearly increased risk of overall cancers SIR = 1.85 (95% CI 1.20-2.73), testicular cancer SIR = 11.9 (1.44-42.9) and melanoma SIR = 4.59 (1.68-9.99) relative to the population of Victoria. Brain cancer was significantly increased for the medium group (n = 256): SIR = 5.74 (1.56-14.7). Mortality was significantly reduced for all groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dealing with supplied records can be problematic but despite the small numbers, we identified an increased risk of cancer for the high group. The mortality data suggested that there was under-ascertainment for the medium and low groups which underestimated risk and a possible reporting bias for brain cancer. Small cohorts can still provide statistically significant findings when investigating locations for cancer risk.
authors.affiliation: Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health (MonCOEH), School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 6th Floor, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia, deborah.glass@monash.edu.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Glass
authors.affiliation: Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health (MonCOEH), School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 6th Floor, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Monaco
authors.affiliation: Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health (MonCOEH), School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 6th Floor, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pircher
authors.affiliation: Statistical Consulting Centre, Room 109, Level 1 Richard Berry Building, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vander Hoorn
authors.affiliation: Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health (MonCOEH), School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 6th Floor, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D061388:Firefighters / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014495:Universities / Q000458:organization & administration; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Cancer incidence; cohort; epidemiological surveillance; firefighter; mortality; occupational exposure.