Cancer clusters petrochemical workers

Cluster 8 Brain Cancer Cluster—Petrochemical Workers... 

Cluster 1 Childhood Leukemia 468 Cluster 2 Prostate Cancer 468 Clusters 3-6 Testicular Cancer 469 Cluster 7 Brain Cancer Cluster—Electronic Workers 469 Cluster 8 Brain Cancer Cluster—Petrochemical Workers 470 Cluster 9 Brain Cancers in Offspring of Electronic Workers 470 Cluster 10 Kidney Cancer Cluster 471 Cluster 11 Colorectal Cancer Cluster 471 Cluster 12 Multiple Cancer Cluster 471 Cluster 13 Lung Cancer Cluster 472 Cluster 14 Childhood Leukemia 472 Cluster 15 Multiple Cancer Clusters 473 Cluster 16 Toxic Waste Disposal Site-Related Clusters 474... 

A brain cancer cluster was documented among petrochemical workers 11 The raw materials and chemicals manufactured in the plant included a broad range of lipophilic and hydrophilic compounds, among them... 

The three cancer clusters just discussed are interesting to analyze. Two different sets of chemical mixtures (in electronics workers and petrochemical workers) induced brain cancers in those exposed, whereas in one instance (the second electronics worker group) only the children of those exposed developed brain cancer. These studies show that different mixtures of chemicals can induce the same cancer types and that different mechanisms are at work in the development of the same cancer type. In all three clusters, none of the individual chemicals that the workers were exposed to is known to be causative for brain cancer. 

The three cancer clusters just discussed are interesting to analyze. Two different sets of chemical mixtures (in electronics workers and petrochemical workers) induced brain cancers in those exposed, while in one instance (the second electronics... 

Austin and Schnatter (1983a) conducted a cohort study of 6588 white male workers employed at a petrochemical plant in the United States between 1941 and 1977. The study was conducted to investigate a cluster of brain tumours that was reported earlier in the same population (Alexander et al., 1980). There were 765 deaths (SMR, 0.8) and 150 cancer deaths (SMR, 0.9) observed. A greater than expected number (based on national rates) of brain cancers (SMR, 1.6 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.8-2.8, based on 12 cases) was observ ed. Austin and Schnatter (1983b) also conducted a nested case-control study to examine the relationship between the risk of primary brain tumours and exposures at the facility. No significant association with 1,2-dichloroethane exposure was observed. 

---