Premium
Benzene exposure and hematopoietic mortality: A long‐term epidemiologic risk assessment
Author(s) -
Rinsky R.A.,
Hornung R.W.,
Silver S.R.,
Tseng C.Y.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.10138
Subject(s) - medicine , proportional hazards model , multiple myeloma , leukemia , absolute risk reduction , relative risk , cohort , cohort study , standardized mortality ratio , confidence interval
Abstract Background Previous studies of a cohort of rubber hydrochloride workers indicated an association between benzene exposure and excess mortality from leukemia and multiple myeloma. To determine whether risks remain elevated with increasing time since plant shutdown, we extended follow‐up from 1981 through 1996. Materials and Methods We evaluated risk using standardized mortality ratios (SMR) and generalized Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results Five new leukemia cases were observed in benzene‐exposed white males, but the summary SMR for this group declined from 3.37 (95% CI = 1.54–6.41) to 2.56 (95% CI = 1.43–4.22). In regression models, cumulative exposure was significantly associated with elevated relative risks for leukemia mortality. Four new multiple myeloma deaths occurred, three of which were in workers judged to be unexposed. Conclusions These findings reaffirm the leukemogenic effects of benzene exposure and suggest that excess risk diminishes with time. Am. J. Ind. Med. 42:474–480, 2002. Published 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.