Cancer incidence and mortality in a cohort of chloroprene workers from Armenia

We evaluated the risk of cancer among 1897 men and 417 women exposed to chl oroprene (2-chloro-1,3-butadiene, CP) at a production plant in Yerevan, Arm enia, between 1940 and 1988. The cohort was followed up for cancer incidenc e for the years 1979-1990 and for cancer mortality for 1979-1988. In the co hort, incidence and mortality from all cancers were below expectation, but increased incidence (standardized incidence ratio 3.27, 95% confidence inte rval [CI] 1.47-7.27), and mortality (standardized mortality ratio 3.39, 95% CI 1.09-10.5) from liver cancer were noticed. A dose-response relationship was suggested between liver cancer and indices of CP exposure, such as dur ation of employment, duration of high CP exposure and cumulative exposure t o CP. The risk of other neoplasms was not increased. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, I nc.