ORIGINAL PAPER
Comparison of lung cancer risk in black-coal miners based on mortality and incidence
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1
University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
(Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Epidemiological Research)
2
Institute of Public Health in Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
3
University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
(Faculty of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health)
Online publication date: 2020-05-25
Corresponding author
Hana Tomášková
University of Ostrava, Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Epidemiological Research,
Syllabova 19, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2020;71(5):513-8
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ABSTRACT
Background: Cancer risk (especially as regards lung cancer) in black-coal miners is mainly analyzed on the basis of mortality. The
risk calculated based on mortality may differ from the values based on incidence. The aim of the study was to compare cancer risk
in black-coal miners with and without coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), based on data on mortality and the incidence of lung
cancer in the Czech Republic in 1992–2013. Material and Methods: The cohort without CWP was composed of 6687 miners, and
the cohort with CWP of 3476 miners. Information on the incidence of lung cancer was obtained from the Czech National Oncological
Register (NOR), and information on mortality from the National Population Register. The risk of lung cancer incidence was
compared with the general male population in the Czech Republic using the standardized incidence ratio (SIR), and the risk of
lung cancer mortality using the standardized mortality ratio (SMR), with the 95% CI. Results: In miners with
CWP, a lower SMR value was found, SMR = 1.70 (95% CI: 1.41–2.04), compared with the SIR value, SIR = 2.01 (95% CI: 1.70–2.36).
In miners without CWP, this was opposite, the value of SIR = 0.81 (95% CI: 0.69–0.94) was lower than the value of SMR = 0.83
(95% CI: 0.70–0.98). In miners without CWP, 17 cases of lung cancer (out of 176 cases in total) were not registered in NOR. In miners
with CWP, the share of not registered cases was significantly lower (p = 0.018), and it was represented by 3% of not registered lung cancer
cases, out of 156 cases with the diagnosis of lung cancer. Conclusions: In spite of the difference between SIR and SMR, the results
of both indicators were consistent with the resulting relationship between the lung cancer risk and CWP. Med Pr. 2020;71(5):513–8