Table 3 Pooled cohort study of asbestos cement workers in Italy. Mortality by gender and cumulative exposure for selected causes of death

MALES

I (< 54.0 ff/ml - year)

II (54.0–620.0 ff/ml - year)

III (>  620.0 ff/ml - year)

trend

Cause of death

n

SMR (95% CI)

n

SMR (95% CI)

n

SMR (95% CI)

p

 All causes

1038

1.15 (1.08–1.22)

1919

1.16 (1.10–1.21)

2634

1.32 (1.27–1.37)

< 0.001

 Malignant neoplasm

425

1.26 (1.14–1.38)

765

1.31 (1.22–1.40)

1152

1.73 (1.63–1.84)

< 0.001

 MN stomach

38

1.36 (0.96–1.36)

45

0.89 (0.65–1.19)

53

0.87 (0.65–1.14)

 MN colon

24

1.07 (0.68–1.59)

40

1.08 (0.77–1.47)

53

1.24 (0.93–1.62)

 MN rectum

11

1.18 (0.59–2.12)

13

0.80 (0.43–1.37)

16

0.79 (0.45–1.27)

 MN peritoneum

3

1.83 (0.38–5.35)

24

9.34 (5.98–13.90)

75

25.18 (19.80–31.56)

< 0.001

 MN respiratory organs

188

1.61 (1.38–1.85)

375

1.81 (1.63–2.00)

621

2.73 (2.52–2.95)

< 0.001

 MN larynx

13

1.65 (0.88–2.82)

19

1.24 (0.75–1.94)

18

0.96 (0.57–1.52)

 MN lung

136

1.30 (1.09–1.54)

251

1.36 (1.19–1.53)

433

2.16 (1.96–2.37)

< 0.001

 MN pleura

36

11.27 (7.89–15.60)

100

20.77 (16.90–25.27)

169

29.97 (25.62–34.84)

< 0.001

 Respiratory diseases

46

0.93 (0.68–1.25)

210

1.89 (1.64–2.16)

423

2.88 (2.61–3.16)

< 0.001

 Bronchitis, emphysema, asthma

20

1.19 (0.73–1.84)

73

1.58 (1.24–1.98)

57

0.89 (0.67–1.15)

 Asbestosis

5

50.03 (16.24–116.76)

75

340.69 (267.98–427.06)

268

732.19 (647.14–825.30)

< 0.001

 Cardiovascular diseases

280

0.97 (0.86–1.09)

523

0.87 (0.80–0.95)

641

0.83 (0.77–0.90)

0.04

 Digestive diseases

59

1.14 (0.87–1.47)

100

0.95 (0.77–1.15)

117

0.94 (0.78–1.13)

 Accidents and violence

79

1.12 (0.89–1.40)

73

0.90 (0.70–1.13)

69

0.83 (0.65–1.05)

FEMALES

Causes of death

n

SMR (95% CI)

n

SMR (95% CI)

n

SMR (95% CI)

 All causes

134

1.24 (1.04–1.47)

328

1.20 (1.08–1.34)

573

1.47 (1.35–1.59)

0.010

 Malignant neoplasm

54

1.29 (0.97–1.69)

136

1.47 (1.23–1.74)

224

2.06 (1.80–2.35)

< 0.001

 MN stomach

5

2.05 (0.66–4.77)

9

1.53 (0.70–2.91)

8

0.95 (0.41–1.88)

 MN colon

4

1.22 (0.33–3.13)

8

1.08 (0.47–2.13)

14

1.48 (0.81–2.49)

 MN rectum

2

1.71 (0.21–6.19)

2

0.73 (0.09–2.62)

7

1.83 (0.74–3.78)

 MN peritoneum

2

6.16 (0.75–22.25)

3

4.00 (0.82–11.67)

26

26.77 (17.49–39.22)

< 0.001

 MN respiratory organs

12

2.38 (1.23–4.16)

45

4.42 (3.22–5.91)

73

6.82 (5.35–8.58)

< 0.001

 MN larynx

0

–

1

4.23 (0.11–23.59)

1

3.52 (0.09–19.63)

 MN lung

3

0.66 (0.14–1.93)

22

2.43 (1.52–3.67)

13

1.41 (0.75–2.41)

 MN pleura

8

29.05 (12.54–57.25)

22

32.97 (20.66–49.92)

59

64.99 (49.47–83.83)

0.002

 MN ovary

3

1.26 (0.26–3.69

3

0.61 (0.13–1.79)

13

2.40 (1.28–4.10)

 Respiratory diseases

6

1.31 (0.48–2.84)

23

1.84 (1.17–2.76)

63

3.11 (2.39–3.98)

0.006

 Bronchitis, emphysema, asthma

2

1.98 (0.24–7.16)

6

1.81 (0.66–3.94)

8

1.28 (0.55–2.51)

 Asbestosis

0

–

10

696.53 (333.99–1280.93)

41

1354.40 (971.93–1837.39)

< 0.001

 Cardiovascular diseases

36

1.06 (0.75–1.47)

101

1.02 (0.83–1.23)

170

0.99 (0.85–1.15)

 Digestive diseases

9

1.59 (0.73–3.01)

19

1.24 (0.75–1.93)

17

0.87 (0.51–1.40)

 Accidents and violence

10

2.02 (0.97–3.71)

6

0.60 (0.22–1.31)

19

1.38 (0.83–2.15)