Cohort mortality and cancer incidence survey of recent entrants (1982-91) to the United Kingdom rubber industry: preliminary findings

Objectives-To monitor the occurrence of stomach and lung cancer in a newly defined cohort of United Kingdom rubber workers and to report findings for other cancers in an early period of follow up. Methods-A prospective cohort of 9031 male and female workers from 42 United Kingdom rubber factories has been enumerated. All employees had a minimum of 12 months employment and were first employed at one of the participating factories in the period 1982-91, Mortality data were available for the per iod 1983-98 and cancer registration data for the period 1983-94. The mortal ity and cancer incidence experienced by the cohort were compared with expec ted values based on national rates defined by period, age, and sex. Results-Mortality, from lung cancer was close to expectation (men: observed (obs) 11, expected (exp) 12.70, standardised mortality ratio (SMR) 87, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 43 to 155; women: obs 0, exp 1.34, SMR 0, 95% CI 0 to 275). Mortality from stomach cancer was unexceptional (men: obs 1, exp 2.69, SMR 37, 95% CI 1 to 207; women: obs 0, exp 0.24, SMR 0, 95% CI 0 to 1537), Many statistical comparisons were made both for mortality data a nd for cancer registration data; only one difference between observed and e xpected numbers was significant (mortality from cancer of the testis: obs 3 exp 0.51, SMR 589, 95% CI 122 to 1722). Corresponding findings for inciden t cancers of the testis were unexceptional (obs 5, exp 5.13, standardised r egistration ratio (SRR) 97, 95% CI 32 to 227). Conclusion-The findings should be treated with caution as they relate to an early period of follow up. Nevertheless, they hold out the prospect that t he increased SMRs lung cancers reported for historical cohorts of United Ki ngdom rubber workers may not be apparent in more recent cohorts.