Mortality among rubber workers. I. White male union employees in Akron, Ohio.

Mortality among a cohort of 13,571 white male rubber workers in Akron, Ohio is described. Mortality from all causes was 82% of that expected on the basis of death rates for US white males. Excess deaths from cancer (observed/expected numbers) in specific sites among workers in specific work areas include stomach:processing (18/9.9); large intestine: processing (14/10.5); lung: tire curing (20/12.4): bladder: all workers (48/39.5); brain: tire building (7/3.7): lymphatic: tire building (11/7.1): and leukemia: all workers (55/43.0). In general, excess cancer deaths occurred most often among men who started working between ages 35 and 44 and prior to 1935, who worked 25-34 years and were over age 74 at death, and who died after 1954.