Oesophageal cancer and vulcanisation work.

A tenfold increased risk for oesophageal cancer, more often localised in the upper than in the lower third of the oesophagus, was found in a 13-year follow-up of vulcanisation workers. The risk for laryngeal cancer was also significantly raised. The study was based on a record linkage between the 1960 census and the cancer registry in Sweden. The rise in oesophageal cancer cannot be explained by alcohol consumption or other factors previously known to be associated with this disease.