Cohort mortality study of prostate cancer among chemical workers

A retrospective cohort mortality study was conducted at a chemical plant producing acetic acid and acetic anhydride, two chemicals essential in the synthesis of cellulose triacetate fiber. Previously, we reported excess mortality from biliary tract and prostate cancers among workers in cellulose triacetate fiber manufacturing plants. In the present investigation, an excess of prostate cancer (SMR = 330.4; 95% confidence interval = 121.3-719.1) was observed among former chemical plant workers, some of whom had been exposed to both acetic acid and acetic anhydride. These apparent increases in mortality are difficult to interpret biologically, particularly in light of recent suggestions concerning the role of endocrine factors. Additional work is planned to more fully characterize potential occupational exposures that might explain the etiology of prostate cancer.