Cancer in Phenoxy Herbicide Workers, 1947-1987

The purpose of this study is to determine the cancer incidence in a cohort of workers in Danish phenoxy herbicide manufacturing plants. The study is based on register data from the personnel files from the factories, public pension-scheme records and the Danish Cancer Register. # A cohort of 4491 workers was selected. 4461 workers (99%) have been followed successfully from 1947-1987. The first part of the study was carried out in the period 1947-1982 (at 4 plants) and the update in the period 1983-1987 (at 2 of the 4 plants). # Exposure measurement data were not available in the past and had to be inferred from production data. Workers were classified according to potential herbicide exposure by their job function. # The rate of cancer incidence in the cohort is compared to the rate in the general population. Data from the Danish Cancer Register are used to determine the incidence rates for all cancers, soft tissue sarcomas and non-Hodgkin lymfoma. #The persons are categorized according to: #- sex #- job function #- duration of employment #Job functions are divided into: #- manufacturing and packaging of phenoxy herbicides #- all manual services #- manufacturing of other products #- office work #- unspecified #The cancer incidence concentrated on: #- incidence for all cancers #- incidence of soft tissue sarcomas #- incidence of non-Hodgkin lymfoma