[Epidemiology of occupational cancer of the upper respiratory tract in Poland 1971-1985].

Incidence of the occupational cancer of the upper respiratory tract has been assessed on the basis of analysis of the data from central register of the occupational disease recognized by the state sanitary-epidemiological service. 99 cases versus 374 all registered occupational cancers of different target organs were found, entirely in men of the mean age 53.6 +/- 6.8 years, and of mean exposure duration 21.3 +/- 8.3 years. The greatest number of cases concerned the workers employed in engineering (23.2%) metallurgical (18.2%) and chemical (14.1%) industry in age groups 50-59 years (55.5%) and duration 16-20 years and above (75.6%). Among carcinogens identified in the work environment, tars, soots and oils with content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (46.5%), chromium compounds (24.3%), "other" chemicals like ferric oxide, dichlorobenzidine, N-Phenyl-2-naphthylamine (9.1%), and asbestos (9.1%) have predominated in proportions given in brackets. In the major part of cases analysed in the study, the larynx was affected (86.9%), and only individual cancers were localized within oral cavity (7.1%), pharynx (4.0%), nose and nasal sinuses (2.0%). Finally, some general difficulties with identification of human environmental carcinogens, and with explaining possible associations between specific cancer sites and industrial chemicals action have been discussed.