Risk of Mortality From Esophageal Cancer Among US Poultry Workers, 1950-2019

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Cancer Epidemiology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Poultry industry workers face increased cancer mortality risks.
• Limited data exists on esophageal cancer mortality specifically within this demographic.
• This study investigates occupational and non-occupational risk factors for esophageal cancer in poultry workers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the association between working in poultry plants and esophageal cancer mortality.
• To identify other occupational and non-occupational risk factors for esophageal cancer among poultry industry workers.

Main Methods:

• A case-cohort study analyzed mortality data from 46,816 US unionized workers (1950-2019).
• Esophageal cancer deaths were identified as cases, with a randomly selected sub-cohort (N=2666) for detailed interviews.
• Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression and weighted regression models were used to estimate mortality hazards.

Main Results:

• Working in a poultry plant was linked to a 62-65% increased hazard of esophageal cancer mortality in the full and sub-cohorts.
• However, among surveyed respondents, poultry plant work appeared to decrease esophageal cancer mortality risk (HR=0.67).

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest a potential increased risk of esophageal cancer mortality associated with poultry plant work.
• Further research is warranted to validate these results and elucidate underlying biological or environmental mechanisms.