Cancer mortality in a cohort of rural licensed pesticide users in the province of Rome.

The mortality of a cohort of 2310 male workers who obtained a licence to handle pesticides in the period 1973-1979 in the province of Rome was investigated. The cohort contributed 26,846 person-years of exposure. The vital status of the cohort was determined up to the end of 1988. The causes of death of the 207 who had died were ascertained from death certificates. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were computed using both the provincial and the national mortality rates. The two methods yielded very similar results. Using the national rates, the SMR for all causes was 56 (95% confidence interval (CI) : 45.3-59.8), for cardiovascular diseases 47 (95% CI : 37.1-59.1), and for all cancers 72 (95% CI : 57.8-89.3). A statistically significant excess was noted for brain cancer (SMR = 270, 95% CI : 108.6-556.9). In addition, the cohort experienced statistically significant lower lung cancer mortality (SMR = 57, 95% CI : 35.6-80.0).