A need for further epidemiological research on cancer among workers belonging to racial and ethnic minority groups is indicated by the extreme sparsity of the information currently available, coupled with the evidence that these worker's health experience is likely to be less favorable than that of the majority. Given that the fundamental features of cancer occurrence among minority workers have not been well delineated, basic epidemiological information derived from comprehensive, broadly representative data is needed to define the problem, generate leads for further research, and initiate preventive efforts. This epidemiological research will address four questions for African- American, Latino, Asian, and Native-American workers: 1) How do the overall rates of cancer among minority workers compare with those of the US workforce as a whole? 2) Which occupational settings, if any, are associated with excess cancer occurrence among workers of each minority group, relative to the US workforce at large? 3) Which occupational settings, if any, are associated with excess cancer within specific minority groups? and 4) Is there evidence of previously reported occupation-cancer associations among minority workers? These questions can be addressed efficiently using mortality surveillance data already in existence from 1985-1991 vital records in states that report occupation and industry data from death registrations to the National Center for Health Statistics, and the Census of Population. Although these routinely-collected data generally do not permit direct identification of occupational carcinogens or facilitate rigorous examination of detailed etiologic questions, these limitations are counterbalanced by several important considerations. First, these data provide virtually the only opportunity to examine the full spectrum of occupations and industries in which minority workers are employed; second, selection bias is minimized because essentially all deaths are registered, and third, the problem of small numbers can be overcome by the use of multistate mortality data to examine the experience of many workers who may be dispersed at separate workplaces. The state of knowledge regarding occupationally-related cancer among minority workers is sufficiently undeveloped that epidemiological analysis of existing surveillance data can cost-effectively bring about advances for science and public health.
| Schulz, M R; Loomis, D (2000) Occupational bladder cancer mortality among racial and ethnic minorities in 21 states. Am J Ind Med 38:90-8 |
