Environment and Breast Cancer: Science Review


Evidence From Humans
 
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Cancer mortality in IBM Endicott plant workers, 1969-2001: an update on a NY production plant
Clapp, R. W., Hoffman, K. Environ Health. 2008. 7, 13.
Topic area
Environmental pollutant - Occupation Organic solvents
Study design
Retrospective cohort
Funding agency
Law firm (plaintiff)
Study Participants
Menopausal Status
The menopausal status of women included in this study is listed here.
No analyses by menopausal status
Number of Controls
Not reported
Cohort participation rate
Not applicable, this is a records based study
Participant selection: Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Criteria used to select participants in the study.
Mortality records from 1969 to 2001 from IBM Corporate Mortality File (CMF) for workers who worked at least 5 years in IBM plant in Endicott, NY. Mortality rates during from 1979-1998 served as the reference population (1999 and 2000 data were not available) from state of New York.
Exposures investigated
Work history data prior to 2002 from the IBM Corporate Employee Resource Information System (CERIS).
Confounders considered
Other breast cancer risk factors, such as family history, age at first birth, and hormone replacement therapy use, that were taken into account in the study.
None
Genetic characterization included
If the study analyzed relationships between environmental factors and inherited genetic variations, this field will be marked “Yes.” “No”, if not.
No
Strength of associations reported
PCMR females (4 cases) 125.5 (95% CI 34.1-321.3)
PCMR males (1 case) 728 (95% CI 18.4-4054)
Author address
Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA. rclapp@bu.edu
Reviewers Comments
This study was conducted in response to employees' concerns about excess mortality from tasks performed at facility (e.g. printing circuit boards). Mortality is an insensitive measure of risk.