Cancer and other causes of death among female textile workers, 1976-78.

Information on usual industry and occupation on North Carolina death certificates indicated that 4,462 white women who died during 1976-78 were former textile industry employees. The relative frequency of cancer and other diseases among decreased textile workers was compared with the cause of death distribution among other white female decedents. Elevated proportional mortality ratios (PMR) were found for the following malignant neoplasms: larynx, PMR=2.8; connective tissue, PMR=2.6; uterine cervix, PMR=2.1; other and unspecified genital organs, PMR=2.7; thyroid, PMR=2.2; and non-Hodgkins lymphoma, PMR=1.7. The increased PMR for cervical cancer and for cancer of other and unspecified genital organs may be related to socioeconomic correlates of employment in the textile industry. More research is needed to determine whether work in the textile industry is associated with the other malignant neoplasms for which an elevated PMR was found in this study.