LUNG-CANCER MORTALITY IN STAINLESS-STEEL AND MILD-STEEL WELDERS - A NESTED CASE-REFERENT STUDY

The association between welding and lung cancer has been studied in a nested case-referent study within a cohort of 8,372 metal workers. Lif etime exposure data on welding and other occupational exposures, as we ll as alcohol and smoking habits, were obtained by interviews of spous es and colleagues. Analysis was based on 439 decreased referents and 9 4 decreased cases. There was a 70% excess of lung cancer associated wi th ''welding exposure ever'' (OR +/- 95% C.I.: 1.68, 1.02-2.78). Overa ll OR for ''mild steel (MS) welding ever'' was 1.64, 0.99-2.72. The ri sk estimates for welding exposures showed an increasing tendency up to 15 years of exposures. The pattern of stainless steel (SS) welding re sembles that of mild steel with an estimated OR of 1.65, 0.88-3.0. The general conclusion is that MS welding as well as SS welding seems to be associated with an increased risk of of lung cancer. Further follow up of the cohort will enhance precision of the estimates. (C) 1996 Wil ey-Liss, Inc.