INVESTIGATION OF AN EXCESS OF MELANOMA AMONG EMPLOYEES OF THE LAWRENCE-LIVERMORE-NATIONAL-LABORATORY

As a follow-up to an observed fourfold excess of malignant melanoma am ong workers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Alameda County, California, the authors conducted a case-control interview study of 3 1 cases diagnosed during the period 1969-1980 and 110 individually mat ched controls. Respondents were queried regarding familial cancer hist ory, health history, general health behaviors, socioeconomic status, s un-exposure history, skin sensitivity to sunlight, and detailed occupa tional and occupational exposure history. Measurements were taken of c onstitutional risk factors such as eye color and skin reflectance. The associations between nonoccupational risk factors and case status wer e consistent with those reported from population-based studies of mali gnant melanoma, Several occupational indicators of risk were strongly associated with case status. These included chemist duties (odds ratio (OR) = 8.0), as well as work around high explosives (OR = 3.0), volat ile photographic chemicals (OR = 3.0), and sources of ionizing radiati on (OR = 3.7). Multivariate analyses of these risk associations sugges ted each to have a reasonably independent relation to case status, Aft er adjustment for constitutional and occupational risk factors of inte rest, the odds ratio associated with reported work around sources of i onizing radiation remained elevated (OR = 2.3, 95% confidence interval 1.0-7.6). The authors believe these results to be sufficiently sugges tive to warrant additional studies of occupational factors and risk fo r malignant melanoma of the skin.