Cancer risk among rubber workers.

Studies of the cancer risk among rubber workers published since 1968 are reviewed. The total material examined comprised 80,000 workers and 4000 cancer deaths. An increased risk of stomach cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, and leukemia was found. The increased risk of cancer at a specific anatomic site was correlated with the mode of exposure specific for the working area or division. On the other hand, no clear exposure-risk relationship could be demonstrated. It is likely that there has been an increased risk of cancer since the elimination of alpha- and beta-naphthylamine by 1950. However, the etiologic fraction is less than that due to prevalent exposures increasing the risk of common cancers at specific anatomic sites.