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Cancer mortality update with an exposure response analysis among styrene‐exposed workers in the reinforced plastics boatbuilding industry
Author(s) -
Bertke Stephen J.,
Yiin James H.,
Daniels Robert D.
Publication year - 2018
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.22853
Subject(s) - medicine , occupational exposure , occupational cancer , environmental health , occupational medicine , cancer , toxicology , biology
Background There is sparse and inconsistent evidence of an association between styrene exposure and cancer. Methods This study examines mortality patterns in a previously studied cohort of 5201 workers employed in two Washington boat‐building facilities, extending follow‐up 5 years. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated using state rates as referent. Cox regression calculated rate ratios (RR) per year employed in styrene‐exposed exposed jobs. Results No excess deaths from lymphohematopoietic cancers (LHCs) were observed (SMR: 0.99, 95%CI: 0.74‐1.30) when compared to the referent population; however, the relative risk increased with duration of employment in internal analyses. Conversely, lung cancer mortality was significantly elevated (SMR: 1.24, 95%CI: 1.08‐1.41), but there was no evidence of a dose‐response relationship. Conclusion We found evidence that occupational exposure to styrene was associated with increased LHC risk, while no such association was observed for lung cancer.