Cancer risk among health care personnel in Finland, 1971-1980.

Standardized incidence ratios were calculated for the assessment of cancer risk among Finnish health care personnel in 1971-1980. The overall relative cancer risk among the men was low when compared with that of all economically active men, mainly due to the low relative risk of lung cancer. The cancer risk of female health care personnel was increased when compared with that of all economically active women. The relative risk of breast cancer among registered nurses was high, being twice that of practical nurses, who had an average risk. In contrast, the risk of lymphomas, leukemia, and primary liver carcinoma was low among registered nurses and high among practical nurses. Although specific occupational exposures could not be assessed, the results did not imply any alarming major hazards related to health care work itself.