A Case-Cohort Study of Angiosarcoma of the Liver and Brain Cancer at a Polymer Production Plant

Abstract

Past studies have reported an excess of angiosarcoma of the liver and brain cancer at a polymer production plant in Louisville, Kentucky. Although angiosarcoma has clearly been linked to vinyl chloride exposure, the cause of the brain cancer excess has been uncertain. We conducted case-cohort and case-control studies of both conditions in relation to chemicals used in polyvinyl chloride and nitrile rubber production. Angiosarcoma was strongly associated with vinyl chloride exposure but not with other chemicals used in production. Brain cancer was highest in workers hired prior to 1950 but was not associated with vinyl chloride or other specific exposures or production processes. This brain cancer cluster is similar to those reported in other industries in this generation of workers, the specific cause remaining unknown.