Introduction

The pioneering studies on occupational mortality of the Registrar General for England and Wales, which began in 1851, have consistently shown differences in mortality between occupational groups (Logan, 1982), including from 1891 onwards, cancer. The question arises whether these differences are due in whole or in part to carcinogenic factors in the work-place.

Occupational cancer: The Registrar General reports

To assess whether risk of cancer and other diseases is concentrated in one or more strata of society, the various occupational groups in England and Wales have been assigned to one of five social classes on the basis of income, education, etc. This resulted in relatively homogeneous classes. The professions are in social class I; unskilled laborers in social class V. In practice, six divisions are used. Social class III (skilled workers) is divided into those following manual (III M) and non-manual (III N) occupations. The mortality by social class for selected cancer sites is given in Table 19.1. In general, persons belonging to the non-manual social class III are more comparable to social classes I and II, whereas the pattern of risk in skilled manual workers tends to be closer to that of social classes IV and V. The mortality patterns of the retired (65–74) are more or less the same as those of the employed (15–64).