Update of cancer mortality among workers in the Tuscan tanning industry

Abstract

Aim. The aim was to study mortality for cancer among Italian male leather tanners after 9 years since the last follow-up. Materials and methods. A cohort was established consisting of 2,729 male subjects who had been employed for at least one year in the period 1950-1981 in Tuscany leather tanneries. Two subcohorts, characterised by different occupational exposure, chemical finishers and drummers, were selected. The cause-specific mortality for the period 1950-1991 and standard mortality ratio (SMR) were calculated for all the three cohorts. The reference population used for analysis was Tuscan. Results. A statistically significant increased mortality of soft tissue sarcoma (SMR = 1456, CI 95% = 164-5257) and prostate cancer (SMR = 376, CI 95% = 172-714) was found in the subcohort of chemical finishers. Excess risk for lung and kidney tumours resulted in all the three cohorts, while mortality for bladder cancer was higher than expected only in the subcohort of drummers. Conclusions. The excess of mortality for soft tissue sarcoma supports the previous findings in other studies among tanners. We observed an increase in mortality for prostate cancer similar to the results obtained in a study conducted among Swedish tanners. Overall mortality risk for cancer did not differ substantially from the follow-up made 9 years earlier. Job analysis did not seem to be able to well discriminate different exposures; only bladder tumour, in excess among drummers, is in agreement with the exposure to specific chemical agents that have been recognized as carcinogenic for this site.