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doi: N/Apmid: N/A
Animal studies have shown that inhalation of vinyl chloride produces in rats angiosarcoma of the liver as well as cancers of the lung, kidney, skin and other sites. Although workers in occupations involving exposure to vinyl chloride have been found to have an increased risk of hemangiosarcoma, no excess of other cancers has so far been reported. This historical prospective mortality study of 8384 men who had at least one year of occupational exposure to vinyl chloride before December 31, 1972, demonstrated that cancers of the digestive system (Primarily angiosarcoma), respiratory system, brain, and cancers of unknown site, as well as lymphomas, occurred more often than expected in those members of the study population with the greatest estimated exposure. The mortality from other cancers was lower than that of the general male population, with the exception of cancers of the buccal cavity and pharynx. There was an excess of these cancers, which however was inversely related to estimated exposure. The explanation for the latter finding is not apparent. The other major findings of the study are: (1) The overall mortality of the study population was approximately 75% of what would be expected in a comparable population of U.S. males; (2) No cause of death showed a statistically significant excess over what would be expected in a comparable U.S. male population; and, (3) No deaths identified as angiosarcoma of the liver were found other than those previously identified. This is the first epidemiological study which suggests that in humans vinyl chloride may also be associated with cancer of multiple sites.
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