Pharmaceutical production workers and the risks of mortality from respiratory system cancer and lymphatic and hematopoietic tissue cancers.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate further elevated mortality risks from respiratory system cancer (RSC) and lymphatic and hematopoietic tissue cancers (LHTC) in a cohort of 1466 male workers employed full-time in pharmaceutical production. METHODS: We computed standardized mortality ratios, and in nested case-control studies of RSC and LHTC, evaluated mortality risks by plant exposures with adjustment for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: Subjects with potential plant exposure had no elevated RSC risk and a statistically significant LHTC excess. The case-control study found many RSC risks reduced with adjustment for smoking, and LHTC risks increased with increasing levels of average exposure to dimethyl-formamide. CONCLUSIONS: RSC mortality risks decreased, and we found limited evidence that positive confounding by smoking may explain some remaining excess risks. For LHTC, increased mortality risks and exposure-response patterns in the case-control study may indicate a possible workplace association.