Abstract
Aims: To determine the standardised mortality ratio (SMR) corresponding to different causes of death in workers from polyvinyl chloride polymerisation factories in Taiwan. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of workers from...
Highlights
Since the first production in the late 1950s, many workers have been exposed to high concentrations of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), which has been reported to cause liver cancer, angiosarcoma of liver (ASL)
Determination of individual vital status For each cohort subject, through data linkage to Taiwan’s National Health Insurance, information was collected to Abbreviations: AFP, α fetoprotein; ASL, angiosarcoma of liver; BFD, blackfoot disease; BLI, Bureau of Labor Insurance; CT, computed tomography; HBsAg, hepatitis B virus surface antigen; HBV, hepatitis B virus; HCV, hepatitis C virus; HCC, hepatocellular cancer; IARC, International Agency for Research on Cancer; ICD, International Classification of Diseases; ID, identification number; MOR, morbidity odds ratio; NLI, National Labor Insurance; NMR, National Mortality Registry; PVC, polyvinyl chloride; SMR, standardised mortality ratio; VCM, vinyl chloride monomer www.occenvmed.com
In this study, we found that workers from PVC manufacturing plants, compared to the general male population in Taiwan, showed a higher mortality from digestive system cancers, especially liver cancer
Summary
The SMR for liver cancer decreased with increasing age of first exposure to vinyl chloride monomer. This association was more prominent for workers who were first employed in the industry prior to 1970 (SMR 4.82). Since the first production in the late 1950s, many workers have been exposed to high concentrations of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), which has been reported to cause liver cancer, angiosarcoma of liver (ASL).. In all cohort studies of liver cancer in workers exposed to VCM, primary HCC is not clearly delineated from ASL. In Taiwan, Du and Wang reported that PVC workers showed an increased risk of developing liver cancer compared to optical workers and motor workers with a morbidity odds ratio (MOR) of 4.5 and 6.5, respectively. Several studies reported that exposure to VCM may be associated with brain tumours, and malignancies of the lymphatic and haematopoietic system. We report the results of a retrospective cohort study to determine the mortality pattern of PVC workers in Taiwan
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