RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Cancer incidence among women flax textile manufacturing workers in Lithuania
JF Occupational and Environmental Medicine
JO Occup Environ Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 500
OP 502
DO 10.1136/oem.2009.048058
VO 67
IS 7
A1 Irena Kuzmickiene
A1 Mecys Stukonis
YR 2010
UL http://oem.bmj.com/content/67/7/500.abstract
AB Objective To determine site-specific cancer incidence among women spinning-weaving and dyeing-finishing workers in the largest flax textile factory in Lithuania.Method The cancer incidence of a cohort of 3447 women workers from a flax textile factory was investigated for the period 1978–2002. All subjects were employed at the plant in the period 1957–2000 for a minimum of 12 months. Standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) were estimated by use of the corresponding national rates. SIRs were calculated for the spinning-weaving and dyeing-finishing work categories, and for two durations of employment categories (<10 years, ≥10 years).Results The cancer SIRs among spinning-weaving and dyeing-finishing workers were 0.84 (95% CI 0.69 to 1.00) and 0.90 (95% CI 0.52 to 1.44). An incidence deficit for non-melanoma skin cancer was found for the spinning-weaving unit (SIR 0.45, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.92). The risk of oral cavity and pharynx cancer was significantly increased in spinning-weaving unit workers with <10 years of employment (SIR 5.71, 95% CI 1.56 to 14.60). A significant excess of thyroid cancer and nervous system cancer was found among dyeing-finishing workers.Conclusions The overall cancer and non-melanoma skin cancer incidence rate among flax spinning-weaving workers was lower compared with the Lithuanian population. The present findings lend some support to an excess of thyroid and nervous system cancers among dyeing-finishing workers and of oral cavity and pharynx cancer in spinning-weaving workers.