Cancer among women textile workers in Shanghai, China: Overall incidence patterns, 1989-1998

Background Cancer incidence in women textile workers has not been adequately studied. The aim of this study was to examine site‐specific cancer incidence patterns in a cohort of 267,400 women textile workers in Shanghai, China. Methods Women employed by the Shanghai Textile Industry Bureau (STIB) were followed for cancer incidence from 1989 to 1998. Age‐adjusted standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed based on Shanghai Cancer Registry (SCR) rates. Results There was a decrease in cancer incidence for the cohort compared with urban Shanghai women (SIR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.89–0.93). There were small increased risks of other endocrine tumors (SIR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.02–1.65). There were decreased risks for esophageal (SIR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.44–0.66), stomach (SIR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.73–0.85), rectal (SIR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.78–0.98), lung (SIR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.74–0.86), cervical (SIR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.28–0.50), ovarian (SIR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.75–0.96), and bladder cancers (SIR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.46–0.85). Conclusions Women employed in the textile industry had a lower than expected cancer experience compared with urban Shanghai women. Further research on this cohort will examine associations between site‐specific cancers and occupational exposures to dusts and chemicals. Am. J. Ind. Med. 44:595–599, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.