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Query: UMLS:C0023418 (leukemia)
 93,477 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Highway maintenance workers (HMWs) have been exposed to a broad range of potentially toxic substances, including diesel fuels and exhaust, asphalts and tars, herbicides, gasoline, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, and lead. The number of current and former state, county, and municipal HMWs in the United States exceeds 500,000, yet the health risks of this occupation had never been studied. To fill this void and to respond to the public perception that Minnesota HMWs were at high risk of developing leukemia, an occupational cohort mortality study was conducted of Minnesota HMWs employed between 1945 and 1984. Leukemia mortality in HMWs with 30-39 years of work (standardized mortality ratio [SMR] = 425; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 171-876) and urologic cancer mortality in HMWs with 40-49 year latency (SMR = 292; CI = 117-602) were significantly elevated. The extent to which these and other findings were directly related to work exposures is unknown. Further investigations to resolve the significance of the risks associated with the HMW occupation are currently underway.
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PMID:Minnesota Highway Maintenance Worker Study: cancer mortality. 274 60

Work history records and fitness reports were obtained for 1,767 marine inspectors of the U.S. Coast Guard between 1942 and 1970 and for a comparison group of 1,914 officers who had never been marine inspectors. Potential exposure to chemicals was assessed by one of the authors (RP), who is knowledgeable about marine inspection duties. Marine inspectors and noninspectors had a deficit in overall mortality compared to that expected from the general U.S. population (standardized mortality ratios [SMRs = 79 and 63, respectively]). Deficits occurred for most major causes of death, including infectious and parasitic diseases, digestive and urinary systems, and accidents. Marine inspectors had excesses of cirrhosis of the liver (SMR = 136) and motor vehicle accidents (SMR = 107), and cancers of the lymphatic and hematopoietic system (SMR = 157), whereas noninspectors had deficits for these causes of death. Comparison of mortality rates directly adjusted to the age distribution of the inspectors and noninspectors combined also demonstrated that mortality for these causes of death was greater among inspectors than noninspectors (directly adjusted ratio ratios of 190, 145, and 198) for cirrhosis of the liver, motor vehicle accidents, and lymphatic and hematopoietic system cancer, respectively. The SMRs rose with increasing probability of exposure to chemicals for motor vehicle accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, and leukemia, which suggests that contact with chemicals during inspection of merchant vessels may be involved in the development of these diseases among marine inspectors.
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PMID:Mortality among United States Coast Guard marine inspectors. 275 50

Massive use of pesticides in agriculture poses risks for the environment and for human health. Pesticides are toxic substances and the suggestion that some may be carcinogenic has been the source of much controversy. In this article we focus on the relation between the use of pesticides in agriculture and the incidence of cancers of the lymphatic tissues, the brain, and of leukemia in the rural farm population in 34 major drainage basins in the province of Quebec (Canada) for the period 1982-1983. The basins were grouped into three categories (low, intermediate and high exposure) based upon the amount of pesticide sold. The study of highly exposed basins shows an excessive incidence of leukemia (SMR = 1.69, p less than or equal to 0.05) for men in rural farm areas in the Yamaska river basin. This specific group's relative risk (RR) of incidence as compared to the urban male population is 2.27 (p less than or equal to 0.05). The RR is also high and statistically significant among the men in municipalities that draw their drinking water from wells (RR = 2.07, p less than or equal to 0.05) as compared to those where water is drawn from rivers. Most municipalities using wells are in the rural farm areas. These results suggest that there may be a relationship between leukemia and the use of pesticides in this drainage basin, and this hypothesis could be verified at the individual level in epidemiological studies.
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PMID:Incidence of cancers of the brain, the lymphatic tissues, and of leukemia and the use of pesticides among Quebec's rural farm population, 1982-1983. 276 36

Cause specific mortality was investigated among 36,622 members of a national furniture workers' union who were first employed in unionised shops between 1946 and 1962. Overall mortality for each race and sex group was less than expected when compared with United States death rates (white men SMR = 0.8, black men SMR = 0.7, white women SMR = 0.8, black women SMR = 0.5); however, raised risks were observed among white men employed in specific types of furniture industries and followed up for 20 or more years after first employment. Lymphatic and haematopoietic cancers were significantly raised (SMR = 1.8) among wood furniture workers followed up for at least 20 years due to excess deaths from leukaemia (SMR = 2.0) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (SMR = 2.0). Mortality from acute myeloid leukaemia was particularly high in this group (SMR = 4.7) based on six observed cases. Metal furniture workers followed up for at least 20 years experienced a significant excess of all cancers combined (SMR = 1.6), with non-significant increases in cancers of the lung, stomach, and colorectum. This group also had non-significant excesses of liver cirrhosis, arteriosclerotic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Nasal cancer was not found to be significantly raised in this cohort, though the average follow up period may not have been sufficient to detect an excess risk for this uncommon tumour.
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PMID:Cancer and other mortality patterns among United States furniture workers. 277 70

In order to assess the possible human carcinogenicity of formaldehyde we conducted a retrospective cohort mortality study of workers exposed for at least three months to formaldehyde in three garment facilities which produced permanent press garments. A total of 11,030 workers contributing 188,025 person-years were included in the study. Vital status was successfully ascertained through 1982 for over 96% of the cohort. The average (TWA) formaldehyde exposure at the three plants monitored in 1981 and 1984 by NIOSH was 0.15 ppm but past exposures may have been substantially higher. In general, mortality from nonmalignant causes was less than expected. A statistically significant excess in mortality from cancers of the buccal cavity (SMR = 343) and connective tissue (SMR = 364) was observed. Statistically nonsignificant excesses in mortality were observed for cancers of the trachea, bronchus and lung (SMR = 114), pharynx (SMR = 112), bladder (SMR = 145), leukemia and aleukemia (SMR = 113), and other lymphopoietic neoplasms (SMR = 170). Mortality from cancers of the trachea, bronchus and lung was inversely related to duration of exposure and latency. In contrast, mortality from cancers of the buccal cavity, leukemias, and other lymphopoietic neoplasms increased with duration of formaldehyde exposure and/or latency. These neoplasms also were found to be highest among workers first exposed during a time period of high potential formaldehyde exposures in this industry (1955-1962). However, it should be recognized that these findings are based on relatively small numbers and that confounding by other factors may still exist. The results from this investigation, although far from conclusive, do provide evidence of a possible relationship between formaldehyde exposure and the development of upper respiratory cancers (buccal), leukemias, and other lymphopoietic neoplasms in humans.
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PMID:A retrospective cohort mortality study of workers exposed to formaldehyde in the garment industry. 338 62

A total of 3392 professional drivers in London were followed up in a prospective mortality study. There were significantly fewer deaths than expected from all causes (SMR 91, p less than 0.05), circulatory disease (SMR 75, p less than 0.05), and accidents (SMR 61, p less than 0.05). Lorry drivers showed excess deaths from stomach cancer (SMR 141, p less than 0.05), lung cancer (SMR 159, p less than 0.05), bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma (SMR 143, p less than 0.05), a pattern not evident among taxi drivers. Mortality from bladder cancers, leukaemia, and other lymphatic cancers were raised in taxi drivers, though the results did not achieve statistical significance. The importance of the findings is discussed.
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PMID:Professional drivers in London: a mortality study. 339 84

A retrospective follow-up mortality study of white male employees of an oil refinery located in southern illinois revealed a statistically significant excess number of deaths due to leukemia compared with the experience of U.S. white males (standardized mortality ratio [SMR] = 213; 95% confidence interval [Cl], 117 to 358). The excess was due mainly to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (SMR = 394; 95% Cl, 172 to 788). From 1973 to 1982, fourteen leukemia deaths were identified; eight of the cancers were of the AML cell type. The work histories of the decedents were examined for the potential for benzene exposure. Although specificity of the work histories was limited, the investigation has shown that the subjects did not work in jobs identified as having the highest benzene exposures. At this time, the excess leukemia remains unexplained.
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PMID:Excess leukemia in a refinery population. 385 37

The mortality experience of a large refinery cohort (1937-1978) was examined by dividing it into three subcohorts according to hire dates: those hired before 1940, those hired during the period 1940-1945, and those hired after 1945. These three periods are approximately equivalent to before, during, and after World War II and span a total hiring period of more than 75 years. The results showed that a substantial portion of the cohort (3,330 or 27%) had been recruited during 1940-1945, and they contributed 980 or 28% of the total deaths. However, their mortality experience was quite different from the rest. A series of significant increases were seen among the external causes for accidents, suicide, and homicide. In terms of overall mortality and in contrast to the rest of the cohort, no "healthy worker effect" was seen (SMR = 1.00). They also showed increases in several types of cancer including cancers of the pancreas and prostate and leukemia. These unusual experiences cannot be explained either on the basis of their war-related deaths or on their period of employment (one-half were terminated within 1 year from date of hire), and data is insufficient to separate the role of hiring practices or their socioeconomic status. However, their life-styles were probably quite different judged from the fact that alcoholism-related deaths were increased as much as fivefold. Almost two-thirds of the total deaths occurred among 4,080 workers in the before 1940 subcohort. Further, the 5,117 workers of the after-1945 subcohort contributed only 5% of the total deaths. Thus, the results of the original refinery cohort (1937-1978) primarily reflect the experience of those employees hired before 1940. Given the same cohort method (historical prospective), cohort results vary widely according to different study designs, and this has implications for "generalizable" risk assessment or risk projections. A prospective study of new hires with 30 years of follow-up is rather inefficient because it would yield only a small number of deaths, with a strong healthy worker effect. The same is true for studies based on active workers with a short period of follow-up. Studies based on time of hire, however, provide a means for controlling time-related occupational exposures.
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PMID:Long-term mortality study of oil refinery workers: V. Comparison of workers hired before, during, and after World War II (1940-1945) with a discussion of the impact of study designs on cohort results. 396 98

In order to test the hypothesis that leukemia and lymphoma may be associated with exposure to styrene, cause-of-death patterns were studied at two reinforced plastic boatbuilding facilities. There were 5,021 workers who met the criterion of having worked at the two plants between 1959 and 1978. Based on industrial hygiene surveys conducted at the two plants, 2,060 individuals were determined to have worked in departments classified as having high exposure to styrene. There were 176 deaths observed among the total cohort, in comparison to 195.3 deaths expected (standardized mortality ratio [SMR] = 90). Among the high styrene exposure group, 47 deaths were observed in comparison to 41.5 deaths expected (SMR = 113). No leukemia or lymphoma deaths were observed in either the high exposure group or the total cohort. An excess of accidental deaths among the high exposure group (18 observed vs 12.4 expected) did not appear to be due to styrene's acute central nervous system effects, since none of the individuals were employed at the facilities at the time of their death. However, the possibility of a chronic effect could not be dismissed. While leukemia and lymphoma did not appear to be related to styrene exposure, the study had little statistical power to detect excesses of these diseases, due to the short length of observation and the young age of most cohort members. It was concluded that the cohort should provide increasingly useful information on chronic styrene toxicity as the population ages and the observation period increases.
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PMID:Mortality patterns among styrene-exposed boatbuilders. 405 Aug 2

The mortality from leukaemias and lymphomas in a tropical urban region of Queensland (Townsville) and in the mainly tropical cane-farming regions of Queensland was investigated. It was found that, compared with the general population of Queensland, there were fewer deaths from neoplastic disease of the lymphatic tissues in women in both regions; that there were fewer deaths from neoplastic disease of the lymphatic tissues in men in Townsville, but not in the cane-growing areas; and that, during the period 1968-1981, there was a significantly lower number of deaths from leukaemia (13 deaths; SMR, 49; P less than 0.01) in women over 60 years of age in the cane-growing areas, which contrasted with a significantly greater number of deaths from leukaemia (61 deaths; SMR, 154; P less than 0.01) in men 60 years and over in the cane-growing areas.
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PMID:Cancer of lymphatic tissues in cane-growing areas of Queensland. 647 77


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