Cancer risks associated with employment in the leather and leather products industry.

A recent study of relationships between occupation and cancer at Roswell Memorial Institute, Buffalo, New York, identified significantly high risks of bladder among men and women with a history of employment in plants manufacturing leather and leather products. Among males, the relative risk increased with duration of employment and remained elevated after adjustment for smoking habits. Among male leatherworkers, significantly increased risks were seen for cancers of the buccal cavity and pharynx and larynx that could not be explained by differences in smoking habits. Malignant lymphomas were also associated with elevated risks among men and women who had worked in the leather industry. Review of processes and agents found in leather manufacture reveals several areas with exposure to potentially carcinogenic materials, including azo and other synthetic dyes that have induced cancer in laboratory animals. Further studies of person employed in the leathermaking and fabrication industries seem advisable to characterize the nature of exposure-response relationships.