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pconti
Funny how the HSE found more cases of cancer than expected, but concluded there ...
KB3001
Yes, people working in the same place are also more likely to share a similar ...
Report finds no increased cancer risk at Greenock fab
Peter Clarke
8/24/2010 9:03 AM EDT
LONDON – Workers at a National Semiconductor wafer fab in Greenock, Scotland, in the 1990s were not at an increased risk of contracting cancer, according to a research study conducted by the U.K. government's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh, Scotland.
"Our new research does not support the earlier concerns about a link between working at NSUK and developing cancer, especially when taking account of new information about cancer at two IBM semiconductor factories in America," the report concludes.
The report comes out after a similar study has been commissioned by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., which itself has faced complaints that unusual clusters of cancers have occurred at its semiconductor factory in Gi-Heung, south of Seoul.
The Scottish study follows on from a report in 2001, published by HSE, which found that although the overall number of cancers in the workforce was not unusual there was a possibility that some could have been caused by work. The most noteworthy finding was the observation of 11 female cases of lung cancer compared with 4 expected (after allowing for factors associated with deprivation such as smoking). There were also 3 cases of female stomach cancer when the calculated expected number of cases of this rare cancer would have been less than 1 case. There were also 20 cases of female breast cancer compared with 15 expected, and 4 cases of male brain cancer compared with less than 1 expected, according to the latest study which references the previous study.
The latest study, which has had a greater period of time to assess current workers and former workers who have contracted various cancers, finds that the incidences among current and former workers at National Semiconductor's Greenock facility are within the statistical range expected for a workforce of a similar age and background.
Stories of clusters of cancers in Greenock and of union lobbying for financial payouts against National Semiconductor emerged in the 1990s.
The HSE responded in 1998 by conducting research into a potential link between developing cancer and working at National Semiconductor in Greenock. HSE published the results of the research in 2001, which showed that although the overall number of cancers in the workforce was within the expected range for a workforce of the size of NSUK's, there was a possibility that some cancers could have been associated with work.
Next: Follow-on research
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Luis Sanchez
8/24/2010 4:45 PM EDT
The studies should be considered concluded. The root cause can be anywhere, not only in the nature of the work they do in the factory but perhaps there is a relation with some other common thing among them, like the water they drink or where do they live.
I do hope the source is soon identified for the health of others.
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Sheetal.Pandey
8/24/2010 10:33 PM EDT
This is strange, according to this report many different kinds of cancers occur due to working in that facility. Can that really happen? I think more investigation need to be done to support this.
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hm
8/25/2010 1:06 AM EDT
I do feel sympathetic with the people suffering cancer from some potential cause at work. However, if I have to choose profession to work, there is always some risk involved that affects my long term health in many different aspects. Is not this risk of getting cancer or other similar deadly disease relative? When they publish some likely correlation like this, should they put some relative index of misery as compare to other risk encountered by other professionals? Take for various examples like healthcare – pathology, nursing, RF design/test - high power amplifier, military work or working in many other industrial environments like mines and other. How significant is this findings as compare to misery faced by many other professional in their daily duty? Should we take this as integral part of modern technology and society?
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KB3001
8/25/2010 5:15 PM EDT
Yes, people working in the same place are also more likely to share a similar lifestyle. A new wider study which should not get too fixated on the workplace needs to be conducted.
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pconti
8/31/2011 8:33 PM EDT
Funny how the HSE found more cases of cancer than expected, but concluded there was no link to the work place...I must have missed something. I worked in the fabs in the past and we definitely had a number of people below 40 years of age contract and in some cases, die of cancer. I somehow fail to see the disassociation of the fab work environment and the high number of cancers in young people that work there. If you are not aware, many of the chemicals used in Semiconductor manufacturing are carcinogenic and/or toxic. There is a lot of safety equipment and monitoring, but I'm convinced from my experience that folks are still exposed to those chemicals in small amounts. The Semiconductor Industry Association was supposed to to a study on this, but I don't know that they ever did. I can almost guarantee that anecdotal evidence from former fab workers would indicate higher that expected cancer rates.
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