A large cohort study of 74,828 beti-ene-e.rliosecl and 35,805 unexposed workers employed between 1972 and I987 in 12 cities in China werefidlowed to determine mortality from all causes and the incidence of I~tiipholietizat~~~~oietic malignancies and other lieniatologic disorders. Benzene-exposed studv subjects were employed iti ( I variety of occupations, including painting, printing, and the rnani~fiit:ture of .footwear, paint, arid other chemicals. All-cause niortcility rt9a.s similar in the benzene-exposed and unexposed comparison group. Statistically sigtivicant excess deaths were noted among benzene-exposed subjects for leukemici (RR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.1-5.0). malignant lymphoma (RR = 4.5, 95% CI: 1.3-28.4). arid nonneoplastic diseases of the blood (RR = 00, 95% CI: 2.5-1, and a tnargincilly significant excess WNS noted for lung cancer (RR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.e2.0). Risk was significantly elevated for the incidence of all lymphohemntc~p~~ietit~ malignancies (RR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.5-5.0). malignant lymphoma (RR = 3.5, 95% CI: 1.2-14.9), and leuketnia (RR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.3-5.7). Among the leukernin subtypes. only acute tnvelogetious leukemia (AML) incidence was significmitly elevated (RR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.2-10.71, although nonsignificant excesses were also noted ,jkr chronic niyelogenous leukemia (CML) (RR = 2.6, 95% CI: 0.7-16.9) and Iyniphocytic leukeniias (RR = 2.8, 95% CI: 0.5-54.5). Signi3cant excesses were found,for aplastic anemia (RR = m, 95% CI: 2 . 2 -3 ) arid myelodvsplastic syndrome (RR = -, 95% CI: I. 7--1. Employment in benzene-cissociated occupations in China is associated with N wide spectrum of' inyelogenous and lymphocytic malignant diseases and related disorders. Inrestigotions continue to assess the nature of these associations. 0 1996 Wile?.-Liss, 1tIC.