Cancer mortality among magazine printing workers

Prevalence of Acute Symptoms among Workers in Printing Factories

Objective. To identify socioeconomic situation factors and behavioral factors associated with the prevalence of acute symptoms among 150 printing workers in 16 printing factories in Southern Thailand. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted by interviewing 150 printing workers in 16 printing factories in Southern Thailand. Results. Acute symptoms comprised dizziness, drowsiness, eye irritation, light-headedness, rhinitis, shortness of breath, cough, chest tightness, nausea/vomiting, exacerbation of asthma, allergic skin reaction, and visual disorder. The prevalence of symptoms was consistently higher among workers in the printing process than among other workers. Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol were not associated with an increased prevalence of acute symptoms among these printing-factory workers. Conclusion. The significant associations were found between personal protective equipment and personal hygiene and prevalence of acute symptoms in printing workers.

Cutaneous melanoma: hints from occupational risks by anatomic site in Swedish men

AIMS

To improve knowledge of the epidemiology of melanoma by comparing occupational risks of cutaneous melanoma (CM) by anatomic site in Swedish workers.

METHODS

Male workers employed in 1970 and living in the country in 1960 were followed up from 1971 to 1989 using the Swedish Registers of Death and Cancer. A more specifically exposed subcohort included men reporting the same occupation in 1960 and 1970. For each location, occupational risk ratios (RRs) were extracted from Poisson regression models adjusted by age, period, town size, and geographical area. To diminish the influence of socioeconomic factors, intrasector analyses, comparing only jobs belonging to the same occupational sector, were performed. Risk patterns for different locations were compared.

RESULTS

High RRs for different sites were found among workers exposed to UV sources (dentists, physiotherapists, and lithographers), and sun exposed workers (harbour masters, and lighthouse/related work). Risk excesses were seen in fur tailors, tanners/fur dressers, patternmakers/cutters, electrical fitters/wiremen, telephone/telegraph installers/repairmen, and some glass/pottery/tile workers. Results for lower and upper limbs were significantly correlated but somewhat independent of those found in thorax, the most frequent location. Correlation between head/neck and thorax was moderate. Specific risk excesses were found for rolling mill workers in head/neck, for chimney sweeps in upper limbs, and for aircraft pilots/navigators/flight engineers in lower limbs.

CONCLUSIONS

High RRs in the trunk among occupations with UV exposure from artificial sources suggest an effect not restricted to exposed sites. An unusual distribution of cases and RRs in chimney sweeps, rolling-mill, or glass/pottery/tile workers suggests local effects of exposures. The not previously reported risk excess in this job and in fur related processes, and the RR in electrical fitters and telephone/telegraph installers deserve further investigation. Disparities between locations, as RRs in thorax and limbs, may reflect differences in aetiological mechanisms.

Incidence of cancer among bookbinders, printers, photoengravers, and typesetters

OBJECTIVES

To to study the risk of cancer, particularly of lung cancer and bladder cancer, among workers in the printing industry according to different occupations.

METHODS

This is a population based retrospective cohort study. The cohort comprised 1332 men and 426 women employed in the printing industry in Iceland according to a published union registry. A computerised file of the cohort was record linked to the Cancer Registry by making use of personal identification numbers. Expected numbers of cases of cancer were calculated on the basis of number of person-years and specific incidences of cancer sites for men and women provided by the Cancer Registry.

RESULTS

Among the men (36 217.5 person-years at risk) there were 125 observed cancers versus 123.66 expected, standardised incidence ratio (SIR) 1.01, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.84 to 1.20. The SIR (95% CI) for liver cancer was 1.97 (0.55 to 5.20) and the SIR for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was 2.26 (0.96 to 4.41). No excess risk for cancer was found among women (8631.0 person-years at risk). The SIR (95% CI) for liver cancer was 4.21 (0.47 to 15.20) and for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma it was 4.99 (1.61 to 11.63) among the typesetters. A survey on smoking habits among active and retired union members showed that they smoked less than a random sample of the general population.

CONCLUSION

The cancer site most often reported to show excess risk among printing industry workers has been the lung and the urinary bladder; however, this was not found in the present study. This may be explained by difference in smoking habits among union members compared with the general population. There is a high occurrence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, particularly among typesetters, which warrants further studies.

Cancer mortality among women in the Russian printing industry

BACKGROUND

This study evaluates cancer mortality among women employed in two large printing plants in Moscow.

METHODS

A total of 3,473 women who were actively employed as of December 31, 1978, with a minimum of 2 years employment were followed from 1 January 1979 to 31 December 1993. There were 47,791 person-years observed, with only 51 women lost to follow-up (1.5%). Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated using the population of Moscow to generate expected numbers. Analyses by job (compositors, press operators, and bookbinders), age hired, latency, and duration of employment were conducted.

RESULTS

Among women employed in the two printing plants, there was a significant excess of esophageal cancer, based on seven deaths (expected = 2.7, SMR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.1-5.4). Four of the seven esophageal cancer deaths occurred among bookbinders (expected = 1.0, SMR = 4.1, 95% CI = 1.1-10.4), all among workers hired before 1957 (expected = 0.6, SMR = 7.1, 95% CI = 1.9-18.3), the last year benzene was used in bookbinding. Ovarian cancer was also significantly elevated among bookbinders (12 observed, 4.2 expected, SMR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.5-5.0), which, along with one death from mesothelioma of the abdomen, might be related to the use of asbestos-contaminated talc fillers in paper. Press operators had significantly elevated mortality from stomach cancer (observed = 9, expected = 4.1, SMR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.0-4.2) and, based on two deaths each, melanoma and bladder cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Women in this printing industry cohort experienced excess mortality of cancer of the esophagus and stomach, with suggested increases of melanoma and bladder cancer. Further follow-up of this cohort, which would allow more in-depth analysis of rare cancer sites, latency, and duration of employment, is warranted. Gender comparisons within the cohort should also be conducted to clarify the role of occupational and lifestyle factors in the etiology of cancer among workers in the printing industry.