Cause-specific mortality and cancer morbidity in 390 male workers exposed to high purity talc, a six-decade follow-up.

BACKGROUND: This study updates information on mortality and cancer morbidity in a cohort of Norwegian talc workers.

METHODS: Follow-up was extended with 24 years, covering 1953-2011. Comparisons were made with the general population and between subgroups within the cohort.

RESULTS: Standardized mortality ratio for non-malignant respiratory disease (NMRD) was 0.38 (95%CI: 0.18, 0.69) and for diseases of the circulatory system (CVD) 0.98 (95%CI: 0.82, 1.16). A non-significantly increased NMRD risk was observed at high dust exposures. There were no deaths from pneumoconiosis.

CONCLUSIONS: With the clear limitations of a small cohort, our results do hint at an effect of talc dust on mortality from NMRD other than pneumoconiosis, covered by a strong and persisting healthy worker effect. Also, an effect on CVD mortality, masked by a healthy worker selection into the cohort cannot be ruled out. Excess mortality from pneumoconiosis seen in other studies, may reflect exposure to quartz and, possibly, bias due to comparability problems.