Table 2 Mortality through 2001 based on US mortality rates for selected causes of death among workers in the South Carolina asbestos textile workers cohort.
| Underlying cause of death | White males | Non‐white males | Females | All workers combined | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obs | SMR (95% CI) | Obs | SMR (95% CI) | Obs | SMR (95% CI) | Obs | Exp | SMR (95% CI) | |||
| All deaths | 868 | 1.52** (1.42 to 1.62) | 384 | 1.10 (0.99 to 1.22) | 709 | 1.29** (1.20 to 1.39) | 1961 | 1469.9 | 1.33** (1.28 to 1.39) | ||
| All cancers | 221 | 1.58** (1.37 to 1.80) | 73 | 0.96 (0.75 to 1.21) | 169 | 1.14 (0.97 to 1.32) | 463 | 365.0 | 1.27** (1.16 to 1.39) | ||
| MN of buccal cavity and pharynx | 4 | 1.14 (0.31 to 2.90) | 2 | 0.83 (0.10 to 3.00) | 2 | 1.08 (0.13 to 3.90) | 8 | 7.8 | 1.03 (0.44 to 2.03) | ||
| MN of digestive organs and peritoneum | 37 | 1.06 (0.75 to 1.46) | 28 | 1.28 (0.85 to 1.85) | 26 | 0.74 (0.48 to 1.08) | 91 | 92.1 | 0.99 (0.80 to 1.21) | ||
| MN of oesophagus | 8 | 2.17 (0.94 to 4.28) | 9 | 2.26* (1.03 to 4.28) | 0 | 17 | 9.1 | 1.87* (1.09 to 2.99) | |||
| MN of stomach | 4 | 0.79 (0.22 to 2.02) | 9 | 1.94 (0.88 to 3.67) | 0 | 13 | 13.3 | 0.97 (0.52 to 1.67) | |||
| MN of intestine except rectum | 6 | 0.49 (0.18 to 1.07) | 2 | 0.37 (0.04 to 1.32) | 11 | 0.71 (0.36 to 1.28) | 19 | 33.1 | 0.57* (0.35 to 0.90) | ||
| MN of rectum | 2 | 0.66 (0.08 to 2.38) | 2 | 1.54 (0.19 to 5.55) | 5 | 1.77 (0.57 to 4.13) | 9 | 7.2 | 1.26 (0.57 to 2.38) | ||
| MN of biliary passages and liver | 7 | 2.10 (0.84 to 4.32) | 1 | 0.40 (0.01 to 2.23) | 2 | 0.55 (0.07 to 1.98 | 10 | 9.5 | 1.05 (0.51 to 1.94) | ||
| MN of pancreas | 9 | 1.28 (0.58 to 2.43) | 5 | 1.34 (0.43 to 3.12) | 7 | 0.93 (0.37 to 1.91) | 21 | 18.3 | 1.15 (0.71 to 1.75) | ||
| MN of peritoneum and unspecified of digestive organs | 1 | 1.79 (0.05 to 9.94) | 0 | 1 | 1.38 (0.03 to 7.69) | 2 | 1.6 | 1.28 (0.15 to 4.60) | |||
| MN of respiratory system | 121 | 2.34** (1.94 to 2.79) | 22 | 0.84 (0.52 to 1.27) | 65 | 2.30** (1.78 to 2.93) | 208 | 106.3 | 1.96** (1.70 to 2.24) | ||
| MN of larynx | 4 | 2.20 (0.60 to 5.63) | 1 | 0.79 (0.02 to 4.36) | 1 | 2.08 (0.05 to 11.6) | 6 | 3.6 | 1.68 (0.61 to 3.66) | ||
| MN of trachea, bronchus and lung | 116 | 2.34** (1.94 to 2.81) | 21 | 0.85 (0.52 to 1.30) | 61 | 2.22** (1.70 to 2.85) | 198 | 101.7 | 1.95** (1.68 to 2.24) | ||
| MN of pleura | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | ||||||
| MN of other respiratory sites | 1 | 3.25 (0.08 to 18.1) | 0 | 3 | 12.9** (2.65 to 37.6) | 4 | 0.7 | 5.49* (1.49 to 14.0) | |||
| MN of breast | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0.99 (0.66 to 1.43) | 28 | 28.6 | 0.98 (0.65 to 1.42) | ||||
| MN of female genital organs | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1.02 (0.62 to 1.58) | 20 | 19.6 | 1.02 (0.62 to 1.58) | ||||
| MN of male genital organs | 12 | 1.10 (0.57 to 1.92) | 8 | 0.79 (0.34 to 1.56) | 0 | 20 | 21.0 | 0.95 (0.58 to 1.47) | |||
| MN of urinary organs | 9 | 1.26 (0.57 to 2.38) | 2 | 0.78 (0.09 to 2.83) | 4 | 0.92 (0.25 to 2.36) | 15 | 14.1 | 1.07 (0.60 to 1.76) | ||
| MN of other and unspecified sites | 23 | 1.25 (0.79 to 1.88) | 7 | 0.92 (0.37 to 1.90) | 11 | 0.62 (0.31 to 1.11) | 41 | 43.7 | 0.94 (0.67 to 1.27) | ||
| Neoplasms of lymphatic and hematopoietic tissue | 15 | 1.11 (0.62 to 1.84) | 4 | 0.78 (0.21 to 2.00) | 13 | 0.98 (0.52 to 1.67) | 32 | 31.9 | 1.00 (0.69 to 1.42) | ||
| Benign and unspecified neoplasms | 1 | 0.54 (0.01 to 3.01) | 2 | 2.09 (0.25 to 7.53) | 4 | 1.46 (0.40 to 3.74) | 7 | 5.5 | 1.26 (0.51 to 2.60) | ||
| Tuberculosis | 6 | 1.62 (0.59 to 3.52) | 6 | 0.75 (0.27 to 1.62) | 0 | 12 | 14.7 | 0.82 (0.42 to 1.43) | |||
| Diabetes mellitus | 18 | 1.79* (1.06 to 2.84) | 8 | 1.08 (0.47 to 2.14) | 18 | 1.24 (0.74 to 1.97) | 44 | 31.9 | 1.38 * (1.00 to 1.85) | ||
| Diseases of the blood and blood forming organs | 0 | 2 | 1.84 (0.22 to 6.64) | 2 | 0.86 (0.10 to 3.10) | 4 | 5.2 | 0.77 (0.21 to 1.97) | |||
| Mental, psychoneurotic, and personality disorders | 6 | 1.30 (0.48 to 2.84) | 6 | 1.41 (0.51 to 3.07) | 8 | 1.24 (0.53 to 2.44) | 20 | 15.3 | 1.31 (0.80 to 2.02) | ||
| Disorders of the nervous system and sense organs | 3 | 0.37 (0.08 to 1.10) | 3 | 0.80 (0.16 to 2.33) | 18 | 1.53 (0.90 to 2.41) | 24 | 23.6 | 1.02 (0.65 to 1.51) | ||
| Diseases of the heart | 295 | 1.38** (1.23 to 1.55) | 101 | 0.95 (0.77 to 1.15) | 198 | 1.12 (0.97 to 1.29) | 594 | 495.7 | 1.20** (1.10 to 1.30) | ||
| Ischaemic heart disease | 250 | 1.39** (1.22 to 1.58) | 70 | 0.92 (0.72 to 1.17) | 149 | 1.11 (0.94 to 1.30) | 469 | 390.1 | 1.20** (1.10 to 1.32) | ||
| Hypertension with heart disease | 12 | 2.25* (1.16 to 3.93) | 9 | 0.86 (0.39 to 1.64) | 7 | 0.97 (0.40 to 2.00) | 28 | 23.0 | 1.22 (0.81 to 1.76) | ||
| Other diseases of the heart | 28 | 1.28 (0.85 to 1.86) | 20 | 1.16 (0.71 to 1.78) | 33 | 1.34 (0.92 to 1.88) | 81 | 63.7 | 1.27 * (1.01 to 1.58) | ||
| Other diseases of the circulatory system | 65 | 1.46** (1.12 to 1.86) | 42 | 1.11 (0.80 to 1.50) | 78 | 1.25 (0.99 to 1.56) | 185 | 145.0 | 1.28** (1.10 to 1.47) | ||
| Hypertension without heart disease | 2 | 1.10 (0.13 to 3.99) | 7 | 2.10 (0.84 to 4.33) | 4 | 1.40 (0.38 to 3.59) | 13 | 8.0 | 1.63 (0.87 to 2.78) | ||
| Cerebrovascular disease | 49 | 1.70** (1.25 to 2.24) | 28 | 1.03 (0.69 to 1.49) | 54 | 1.19 (0.90 to 1.56) | 131 | 101.3 | 1.29** (1.08 to 1.53) | ||
| Diseases of the respiratory system | 84 | 2.00** (1.60 to 2.48) | 33 | 1.42 (0.98 to 2.00) | 72 | 1.67** (1.30 to 2.10) | 189 | 108.4 | 1.74** (1.50 to 2.01) | ||
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 29 | 1.41 (0.94 to 2.02) | 6 | 0.90 (0.33 to 1.96) | 26 | 1.36 (0.89 to 1.99) | 61 | 46.4 | 1.31* (1.01 to 1.69) | ||
| Asthma | 1 | 1.08 (0.03 to 6.01) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.3 | 0.30 (0.01 to 1.67) | ||||
| Pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases | 41 | 5.67** (4.07 to 7.69) | 12 | 3.02** (1.56 to 5.28) | 32 | 4.94** (3.38 to 6.98) | 85 | 17.7 | 4.81** (3.84 to 5.94) | ||
| Asbestosis† | 20 | 172.5** (105.3 to 266.4) | 4 | 129.5** (35.3 to 331.2) | 12 | 1500** (771.7 to 2611) | 36 | 0.2 | 232.5** (162.8 to 321.9) | ||
| Diseases of the digestive system | 35 | 1.33 (0.92 to 1.84) | 12 | 0.77 (0.40 to 1.35) | 34 | 1.45* (1.00 to 2.03) | 81 | 65.4 | 1.24 (0.98 to 1.54) | ||
| Cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases | 20 | 1.48 (0.91 to 2.29) | 5 | 0.70 (0.23 to 1.63) | 11 | 1.34 (0.67 to 2.39) | 36 | 28.9 | 1.25 (0.87 to 1.73) | ||
| Diseases of the genitourinary system | 13 | 1.66 (0.88 to 2.84) | 8 | 0.89 (0.38 to 1.75) | 16 | 1.46 (0.84 to 2.38) | 37 | 27.8 | 1.33 (0.94 to 1.84) | ||
| Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue | 1 | 2.28 (0.06 to 12.7) | 0 | 2 | 2.22 (0.27 to 8.00) | 3 | 2.0 | 1.51 (0.31 to 4.41) | |||
| Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1.05 (0.22 to 3.08) | 3 | 4.8 | 0.63 (0.13 to 1.84) | ||||
| Symptoms and ill‐defined conditions | 11 | 1.99 (0.99 to 3.56) | 10 | 1.33 (0.63 to 2.44) | 6 | 1.32 (0.48 to 2.87) | 27 | 17.6 | 1.53 * (1.01 to 2.23) | ||
| Accidents | 52 | 1.45* (1.08 to 1.90) | 25 | 1.11 (0.72 to 1.64) | 13 | 0.88 (0.47 to 1.51) | 90 | 73.1 | 1.23 (0.99 to 1.51) | ||
| Transportation accidents | 28 | 1.43 (0.95 to 2.06) | 10 | 0.99 (0.48 to 1.83) | 7 | 1.10 (0.44 to 2.27) | 45 | 36.0 | 1.25 (0.91 to 1.67) | ||
| Suicide | 8 | 0.66 (0.29 to 1.31) | 0 | 1 | 0.23 (0.01 to 1.29) | 9 | 18.6 | 0.48* (0.22 to 0.92) | |||
| Homicide | 5 | 1.47 (0.48 to 3.43) | 7 | 0.55 (0.22 to 1.13) | 1 | 0.87 (0.02 to 4.83) | 13 | 17.3 | 0.75 (0.40 to 1.28) | ||
| Unknown cause | 27 | 39 | 54 | 120 | |||||||
| Residual | 17 | 1.70 (0.99 to 2.72) | 7 | 0.78 (0.31 to 1.61) | 12 | 0.85 (0.44 to 1.49) | 36 | 33.0 | 1.09 (0.76 to 1.51) | ||
Obs, observed number of deaths; SMR, standardised mortality ratio; Exp, expected number of deaths (based on US referent rates); MN, malignant neoplasm.
*Two‐sided p value <0.05.
**Two‐sided p value <0.01.
†Observed deaths, SMRs and 95% CIs for asbestosis are for the time period 1960 to 2001 due to rate file restrictions.