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Mortality from lymphohematopoietic neoplasms and other causes in a cohort of laminated plastic workers exposed to formaldehyde

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Abstract

Purpose

A possible relationship between exposure to formaldehyde and leukemia—particularly myeloid leukemia—as well as of lymphoid neoplasms has been debated and is still controversial. We thus examined the issue using data from a cohort of workers of a laminated plastic factory sited in Piedmont, northern Italy.

Methods

The study cohort included 2,750 subjects (2,227 men and 523 women) who worked in the factory between 1947 and 2011, for at least 180 days. Follow-up ended in May 2011, for a total of 70,933 person-years of observation. We computed standardized mortality ratios (SMR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) using national and (whenever available) Piedmont Region death rates.

Results

Overall, there were 417 deaths versus 493.4 expected ones (SMR = 84.5, 95 % CI 76.6–93.0). The SMRs were 79.8 (95 % CI 67.5–93.6) for total cancer mortality, 148.5 (95 % CI 68.0–282.2) for oral cavity and pharynx (three deaths were registered, but not confirmed, as nasopharyngeal cancer), 48.3 (95 % CI 13.1–123.7) for pancreas, 66.1 (95 % CI 13.6–193.0) for larynx, and 96.7 (95 % CI 72.0–127.2) for lung cancer. The SMR of all lymphohematopoietic malignancies was 68.6 (95 % CI 31.4–130.3; nine observed deaths). This tended to increase with duration of exposure and to decrease with period at first exposure, always remaining below 100. There were four deaths from lymphoma (SMR = 74.1, 95 % CI 20.1–189.6) and five deaths from leukemia (SMR = 92.4, 95 % CI 29.9–215.3).

Conclusions

We found no meaningful excess mortality from any lymphohematopoietic nor other neoplasms, except possibly for nasopharyngeal cancer.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Alessandro Migliardi of the Centro Regionale di Documentazione per la Promozione della Salute (DORS) for providing Piedmont Region mortality data and rates for the period 2001–2010. The study was partly supported by an unconditional grant by ABET LAMINATI S.p.A to the Department of Public Health and Pediatrics of the University of Turin.

Conflict of interest

ABET LAMINATI S.p.A partly supported the study (grant to the Department of Public Health and Pediatrics of the University of Turin). The sponsors had no role in the design, conduct, or reporting of this study, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Occupational Medicine, Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, Via Zuretti 29, 10126, Turin, Italy

    Enrico Pira, Canzio Romano & Federica Verga

  2. Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Via Augusto Vanzetti 5, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Carlo La Vecchia

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  1. Enrico Pira
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  4. Carlo La Vecchia
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Correspondence to Carlo La Vecchia.

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Pira, E., Romano, C., Verga, F. et al. Mortality from lymphohematopoietic neoplasms and other causes in a cohort of laminated plastic workers exposed to formaldehyde. Cancer Causes Control 25, 1343–1349 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-014-0440-0

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