Table 5 Rate ratios for lung cancer and asbestosis by category of cumulative fibre exposure and lag interval among production workers at three North Carolina asbestos textile plants, 1950–2003
Lag (years)Fibre exposure (f-y/ml)DeathsPerson-yearsRR*95% CILR (4)AIC
Lung cancer
0<2.337372101.007.182350.2
2.3–<11.536320791.000.63 to 1.59
11.5–<34.836203711.500.95 to 2.39
34.8–<152.736217881.120.70 to 1.79
>152.736125811.781.09 to 2.91
10<2.337591631.008.232350.5
2.3–<11.537233041.130.71 to 1.78
11.5–<34.835151511.580.99 to 2.53
34.8–<152.737167381.250.79 to 2.00
>152.73596731.881.14 to 3.08
20<2.342816051.009.622349.1
2.3–<11.534147901.230.77 to 1.96
11.5–<34.83599451.821.15 to 2.89
34.8–<152.739113071.520.97 to 2.40
>152.73163821.881.14 to 3.10
30<2.3651019681.0013.852344.9
2.3–<11.52772441.320.82 to 2.14
11.5–<34.83251442.091.32 to 3.29
34.8–<152.72962371.400.87 to 2.24
>152.72834362.131.30 to 3.49
Asbestosis
0<232.281154871.0076.08520.3
232.2–<356.97300022.427.77 to 64.69
356.9–<532.07251329.149.94 to 85.43
532.0–<842.47211723.267.80 to 69.36
>842.4791268.4621.43 to 218.63
10<232.291175791.0075.58520.8
232.2–<356.98235025.849.50 to 70.30
356.9–<532.05185921.516.76 to 68.43
532.0–<842.47156424.248.28 to 70.90
>842.4767766.1721.20 to 206.50
20<232.2141198591.0053.44542.9
232.2–<356.96154914.585.22 to 40.73
356.9–<532.05125614.874.88 to 45.31
532.0–<842.4698715.335.32 to 44.20
>842.4537835.5410.88 to 116.08
30<232.2181218281.0046.02550.4
232.2–<356.9791315.335.77 to 40.72
356.9–<532.036779.402.58 to 34.31
532.0–<842.4646619.896.98 to 56.71
>842.4214521.744.51 to 104.78
  • *Adjusted via Poisson for age (<60, 60–69, 70–79 or ⩾80 years), sex, race (white or other/unknown), decade of follow-up and birth cohort (<1920, 1920–1939 and ⩾1940) for lung cancer and age, sex, race and decade for asbestosis.

  • Exposure category boundaries selected to define five quantiles of total exposure among cases.

  • AIC, Akaike information criterion; LR (4), likelihood ratio for addition of exposure terms with 4 degrees of freedom; RR, rate ratio.