Abstract
Background: Shipbreaking, or ship demolition, involves breaking up of ships for scrap. Today most shipbreaking yards are in developing nations (principally Bangladesh, China, and India), due to lower labor costs and less stringent environmental regulations that deal with the disposal of lead paint and other toxic substances. However, workers from the shipbreaking industry are usually not tightly organized and tend to have a high turnover rate, rendering a high rate of loss to follow-up in cohort studies. Aim: The objective of this study examined whether there was an increase in risk of cancer among male shipbreaking workers over a 23-year follow-up period. Methods: Employment information on 4,962 shipbreaking workers (4,157 men and 805 women) were retrospectively collected from the Kaohsiung Shipbreaking Workers Union database set in 1985. The study cohort was then linked with Taiwan National Cancer Registry from 1985 to 2007 for incident cancer cases. Only those cases that developed cancer at least 10 years after first employment were counted in the analysis. The incidence ratios—standardized for age and calendar years-- (SIRs) for various sites of cancer associated with the study cohort were calculated as compared to the general population of Taiwan. Result: We noted an increased risk of oral cavity cancer (SIR=1.73, 95% CI: 1.33-2.21) in the study cohort. Additionally, the workers with an employment of more than 7 years experienced an increased risk of not only oral cavity cancer but also neoplasm of trachea, bronchus, and lung cancer (SIR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.01-2.14). Among various job titles, only flame cutters were associated with increased risk of developing lung cancer (SIR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.01-2.26). Conclusion: We found that the shipbreaking workers with a longer period of employment were at increased risks of neoplasm of trachea, bronchus, and lung cancer. Flame cutters were at the greatest risk among various job titles, and should be the object of further cancer preventive measures.
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