Risks, survival and trends of malignant melanoma among white and blue collar workers in Sweden.

Abstract

All persons in Sweden, classified as white or blue collar workers in the 1960 Population Census, were followed up for the period 1961-1973 with regard to the occurrence of cancer. The SMRs were calculated for 50 tumour sites and it was found that the crude classification of occupations into white or blue collar workers was particularly important for malignant melanoma risk. The number of malignant melanoma cases among blue collar workers was significantly lower than expected while it was significantly higher than expected among the white collar workers. This was true for men as well as for women. The SMRs were calculated to be 87 and 141 (men) and 79 and 117 (women), respectively. Comparing the relative survival probabilities it was found that white collar workers had a higher probability of survival than blue collar workers. This might indicate that the difference in occurrence could be dependent on early detection as well as differential risk. The incidence of malignant melanoma is increasing faster than any other kind of tumour in Sweden. For the period 1961-1970 the incidence rate increased two-fold for blue collar workers and more than two-fold for white collar workers (men). In absolute terms the white collar workers in the age group 45-64 had an appreciably faster increase in incidence over this period compared to all other groups studied.