Brain cancer in the Du Pont Company

A study of brain cancer was conducted in the Du Pont Company to compare the Company's morbidity and mortality experience with that in the U. S. population. Incidence in the Company from 1956 through 1979 was compared to incidence reported in the Third National Cancer Survey, 1969-1971. Mortality from 1957 through 1979 was compared to U. S. mortality in 1968. The morbidity data were confined to active employees, whereas the mortality data included both active and retired employees. Neither data included former employees who left employment without a pension. During these study periods, there were 150 newly diagnosed brain cancer cases and 144 deaths from brain cancer. The data indicated that both morbidity and mortality in the company were essentially the same as in the general population. These results, however, do not preclude the possibility that there could be a group of workers in the company with an excess risk of brain cancer as a result of exposure to a carcinogen, although we are not aware of such a group. The identification of such a group, if it does exist, would have to be made by a case-control or prospective cohort study. Comparisons between male wage roll and salaried employees showed no difference in morbidity and no significant difference in mortality.