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Document ID (ISN)54734
CIS number 90-1585
ISSN - Serial title 0140-6736 - Lancet
Year 1990
Convention or series no.
Author(s) Cordier S.
Title Risk of cancer among laboratory workers
Bibliographic information 5 May 1990, Vol.535, No.8697, p.1097. 1 ref.
Abstract A number of rare cancers among workers below 50yrs of age at the Institut Pasteur (Paris, France) prompted an investigation of deaths due to cancer among research laboratory workers of the Institute. The cohort consisted of the 3765 people who had worked at least 6 months in the Institute between 1971 and 1986 (follow-up until end of 1987). Among workers in the cohort, total mortality, deaths from all cancers and from cardiovascular disease were all less than expected, while from cancers of the breast and the ovary, and from leukaemia and lymphoma were close to expected. However, significant excess deaths were found for bone cancer in men, and for pancreatic cancer and brain tumours in women (all in people whose work had been mostly in bacteriology laboratories) - the absolute numbers being in all cases low. More research is being pursued.
Descriptors (primary) laboratory work; neoplasms; biological hazards; mortality
Descriptors (secondary) ovarian cancer; leukaemia; France; lymphoma; long-term study; tumour of the pancreas; bone lesions; breast cancer; brain cancer
Document type D - Periodical articles
Country / State or ProvinceFrance
Subject(s) Commerce, services, offices
Broad subject area(s) Industries and occupations
Browse category(ies) Biological hazards