CANCER MORTALITY PATTERNS AMONG FEMALE AND MALE WORKERS EMPLOYED IN ACABLE MANUFACTURING PLANT DURING WORLD-WAR-II

A cohort mortality study was conducted among 9028 (3042 women, 5986 me n) workers potentially exposed to chlorinated naphthalenes (chloracneg ens structurally similar to dioxins) and asbestos in the manufacture o f Navy cable during World War II. Based on mortality through December 31, 1985, standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for all cancers was 1.0 3 in women (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.90 to 1.17) and 1.18 in m en (95% CI = 1.10 to 1.26). There were no significant elevations in ca uses of death hypothesized a priori to be associated with chlorinated naphthalene exposure (malignant neoplasms [MN] of connective tissue, l iver, and lymphatic and hematopoietic organs). An excess of MN of the connective tissue was suggested for workers with over 1 year of exposu re and 25 years of latency (SMR = 3.54, 95% CI = 0.97 to 9.07). Among cancer sites not hypothesized to be related a priori, three showed con cordant excesses among both genders (MN of stomach; rectum; and trache a, bronchus, and lung). No significant elevations occurred in hormonal ly related cancers among women. Cancer mortality among 460 individuals with chloracne (431 men, 29 women) was similar to that of the entire cohort, although the chloracne subcohort showed significant excesses i n two rare causes of death (MN of esophagus, SMR = 3.26, ''benign and unspecified neoplasms,'' SMR = 4.93). Use of county referent rates dec reased SMRs for stomach, rectal, and buccal cavity cancer suggesting a role for nonoccupational risk factors. If is difficult to draw conclu sions about carcinogenicity of chlorinated naphthalenes because of stu dy limitations, most importantly, concomitant asbestos exposure and th e relatively short duration of exposure to chlorinated naphthalenes am ong most of the cohort.