PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Boulanger, Mathilde
AU  - Morlais, Fabrice
AU  - Bouvier, Véronique
AU  - Galateau-Salle, Françoise
AU  - Guittet, Lydia
AU  - Marquignon, Marie-France
AU  - Paris, Christophe
AU  - Raffaelli, Claude
AU  - Launoy, Guy
AU  - Clin, Bénédicte
TI  - Digestive cancers and occupational asbestos exposure: incidence study in a cohort of asbestos plant workers
AID  - 10.1136/oemed-2015-102871
DP  - 2015 Nov 01
TA  - Occupational and Environmental Medicine
PG  - 792--797
VI  - 72
IP  - 11
4099  - http://oem.bmj.com/content/72/11/792.short
4100  - http://oem.bmj.com/content/72/11/792.full
SO  - Occup Environ Med2015 Nov 01; 72
AB  - Objective The aim of our study was to estimate the incidence of digestive cancers within a cohort of asbestos-exposed workers.Methods Our study was based on a cohort of 2024 participants occupationally exposed to asbestos. The incidence of digestive cancers was calculated from 1 January 1978 to 31 December 2009 and compared with levels among the local general population using Standardised Incidence Ratios (SIRs). Asbestos exposure was assessed using the company’s job-exposure matrix.Results 119 cases of digestive cancer were observed within our cohort, for an expected number of 77 (SIR=1.54 (1.28 to 1.85)). A significantly elevated incidence was observed for peritoneal mesothelioma, particularly in women. Significantly elevated incidences were also observed among men for: all digestive cancers, even when excluding peritoneal mesothelioma (SIR=1.50 (1.23 to 1.82)), oesophageal cancer (SIR=1.67 (1.08 to 2.47)) and liver cancer (SIR=1.85 (1.09 to 2.92)). Concerning colorectal cancer, a significant excess of risk was observed for men with exposure duration above 25 years (SIR=1.75 (1.05 to 2.73)).Conclusions Our results are in favour of a link between long-duration asbestos exposure and colorectal cancer in men. They also suggest a relationship between asbestos exposure and cancer of the oesophagus in men. Finally, our results suggest a possible association with small intestine and liver cancers in men.