Objective: To evaluate cancer incidence overall and renal cancer in particular among workers at the Valley Forge satellite manufacturing complex in Pennsylvania. A previous mortality study observed a slightly elevated risk estimate for brain cancer.
Methods: A cohort of 27,586 workers, employed between 1962 and 2008 and alive in 1990 when cancer follow-up began, was investigated. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated.
Results: A total of 4303 incident cancers were diagnosed. The SIRs were significantly reduced for all cancers (0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85 to 0.90) and several site-specific cancers. The renal cancer SIR was 1.00 (95% CI, 0.84 to 1.19) and the brain cancer SIR was 1.17 (95% CI, 0.90 to 1.49).
Conclusions: This cancer incidence study of satellite manufacturing workers found no convincing evidence of increased cancer risk overall, or for renal or brain cancer in particular.
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