[Cancer in residents of heavy traffic areas]

A part of the emission of automobiles (exhaust gases, brake-block rubbing-off) is known to be cancerogenic. This study examines the risk of getting cancer, for citizens of Hamburg who are living in streets with high traffic frequency (more than 30,000 automobiles a day). The cancer frequency from 61,636 exposed persons were (standardised to age and specific for sex) related to 11,794 cases of cancer in the years of 1970 to 1972 in the population of Hamburg (1.8 million citizens). 483 cases of all cancer were found within the study group and vs. 455.0 had been expected (SMR = 1.06). 242 of these were men vs. 217 had been expected/SMR = 1.12). 100 cases of death from pulmonary cancer were found and vs. 74.5 expected (SMR = 1.34), 53 cases of colonic cancer vs. 31.5 expected (SMR = 1.68). The presented data cannot explain external variables, such as smoking cigarettes. The risk of getting cancer for citizens, who are living in streets with high automobile frequency and -emissions, should be evaluated further more by specific studies.