Occurrence of cancer in a small cohort of asbestos-exposed workers (original) (raw)
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Cancer in ex-asbestos cement workers in Israel, 1953-1992
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 1999
A cohort of 3,057 male workers employed in an asbestos-cement plant using 90% chrysotile-10% crocidolite, located in Northern Israel, was followed from 1953-1992 for incidence and mortality from cancer. In the years 1978-1992, the cohort had an elevated risk for all malignant neoplasms combined (n ϭ 153, SIR ϭ 117, ns), lung cancer (n ϭ 28, SIR ϭ 135, ns), mesothelioma (n ϭ 21; SIR Ͼ5000, p Ͻ .0001), unspecified pleural cancer (n ϭ 5; SIR ϭ 278, P Ͻ .0001), and liver cancer (n ϭ 7, SIR 290, ns). Risks for colo-rectal (n ϭ 19; SIR ϭ 79, ns), bladder (n ϭ 12, SIR 69) and renal cancers (n ϭ 5, SIR 104) were less than expected. Risk for mesothelioma showed a sharp risk gradient with duration of exposure, increasing from 1 per 625 for those employed less than 2 years to 1 per 4.5 workers employed over 30 years. The ratio of mesothelioma to excess lung cancer cases was 2.9 to 1, or 3.6 to 1, if pleural cases of unspecified origin were included; the pleura to peritoneum ratio of verified mesothelioma cases was 20 to 1. This atypically high ratio of mesothelioma to excess lung cancer cases is suggested to be the combined result of high past asbestos exposures in the workers and their low prior risk for lung cancer, and possibly, relatively early smoking cessation in relation to asbestos exposure. Am.
Asbestos exposure and related neoplasiaThe 28 year experience of a major urban hospital
American Journal of Medicine, 1978
In a retrospective study of 49 cases of asbestos&, a steady increase in the frequency of diagnosis of asbestosis and asbestos-related neoplasia is documented from a major urban hospital since 1960. Although in the majority of cases the subjects were exposed to asbestos in a neighboring shipyard, In 20 per cent of the cases, asbestos exposure was in industries not related to shipbuilding, reflecting its wklespread use. This selective population of patients with asbestosis more often than not had an associated neoplasm. The most likely accompanying tumor was pleural mesothelioma, and among cell types of lung cancer, adenocarcinoma was notably frequent.
Histological type of lung carcinoma in asbestos cement workers and matched controls
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 1992
Histological types of lung carcinoma were examined in a case series ofworkers exposed to asbestos cement dust (n = 29) and matched controls (n = 87). The proportion of adenocarcinomas was 31% among the exposed subjects and 15% among the controls (midp = 0O05). Among workers with high exposure the proportion of adenocarcinoma was even higher (45%, 5/11; mid-p = 0O03). The proportion of peripheral tumours tended to be higher among exposed cases than controls (24 v 12%, mid-p = 0 12). Lobe of origin did not differ, however, between exposed cases and controls. Thus the study indicates an association between the degree of exposure to asbestos and adenocarcinoma of the lung, and a peripheral rather than central localisation of the tumours, but with virtually the same distribution of lobe of origin as in the general population.
Comparison of lung cancer risks for dust workers, asbestos-cement workers and control groups
IARC scientific publications, 1980
In a prospective study, 1630 men exposed to dust for long periods (foundry workers and workers in metal, ceramics, glass, stone and other industries) and 1630 controls not exposed to dust were registered between the years 1950 and 1960; the population comprised workmen living in Vienna and born in 1910 or before. Controls were matched according to age and smoking habits. Causes of deaths were followed up to 1976 from official death certificates, mainly issued by hospitals with routine autopsy. General mortality was higher in the dust-exposed group, and there was a significant excess of deaths from lung cancer: 1.5 times higher than that for controls, 1.6 times higher than that for other Viennese men of the same age and 2.1 times higher than that for Austrian men. There were no excess deaths from lung cancer up to the age of 60. It is evident that only long exposure times raise the lung cancer risk for dust-exposed workers. In a historical prospective study of asbestos-cement workers...
ASBESTOS DISEASE IN MAINTENANCE WORKERS OF THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1979
In several large groups of workers employed in chemical plants, chest x-ray abnormalities (small irregular opacities and/or pleural changes) of the type known to be induced by asbestos were found in a proportion of those examined. A cross-sectional study of maintenance workers in a large chemical plant was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of asbestosis; 185 workers were examined. Radiologic evidence of parenchymal interstitial fibrosis was found in 24% of those examined; in 10% of workers, parenchymal fibrosis was the only abnormality. Pleural fibrosis and/or calcification was found in the absence of parenchymal fibrosis in 14% of cases; in another 14% of workers, both parenchymal and pleural abnormalities were detected. The prevalence was significantly higher in those employed 20 or more years. Pleural abnormalities were more prevalent than were parenchymal changes. The increased risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma remains to be studied.
Incidence of cancer and mortality among employees in the asbestos cement industry in Denmark
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 1989
In a cohort study of the incidence of cancer and mortality among 7996 men and 584 women employed in the Danish asbestos cement industry between 1928 and 1984 over 99% were traced. Chrysotile asbestos was the only fibre type used until 1946, when amosite and (in 1952) crocidolite were also introduced. Chrysotile constituted 89%, amosite 10%, and crocidolite 1 % ofthe asbestos used. During the first 25 years of manufacture the exposure levels were high, especially in areas where the asbestos was handled dry. Measurements from 1948 indicate that the fibre levels may have ranged from 100 to 1600 times over the present Danish threshold limit value of 0 5 fibre/ml. In 1973 more than 41 % of personal samples were higher than 2 f/ml. About 76% of the workforce left the factory within five years of starting employment. A total of 1346 deaths and 612 cases of cancer were observed in the cohort between 1943 and 1984. Among employed men the overall mortality (O/E 1-18; 95% CI 1.12-1.25), cancer mortality (O/E 1-32; 95% CI 1.19-1 46), and overall incidence of cancer (O/E 1 22; 95% Cl 1i 12-1 32) were significantly increased compared with all Danish men. This was not so among employed women. For men, significant excess risks were found for cancer of the lung (O/E 1-80; 95% CI 1-54-2-10), pleura (O/E 5 46; 95% CI 2-62-10-05), mediastinum (O/E 5'00; 95% C 1-01-14 61), stomach (O/E 1-43; 95% CI 1 03-1 .93), and other male genital organs (O/E 3 03; 95% CI 1 1 1-6-60). The mortality was significantly increased for men for non-malignant pulmonary diseases (O/E 1 63; 95% CI 1-33-1-98). Among the group of asbestos cement workers with first employment 1928-40 an excess risk of laryngeal cancer was found (O/E 5'50; 95% CI 1-77-12-82). A total of 12 cases of pleural and one of peritoneal mesotheliomas was observed when the original notification forms were reviewed for all patients with cancer in the cohort.
Estimated Cancer Risk Associated with Occupational Asbestos Exposure
Risk Analysis, 1981
This paper estimates the number of workers in the United States who were occupationally exposed to asbestos during and after World War I1 and assesses the impact of this exposure on overall cancer mortality. The results suggest that over half of the estimated 7-8 million potentially exposed workers employed between 1940 and 1970 may still be alive and at risk of dying from some form of asbestos-related cancer. While the maximum number of excess cancer deaths associated with this occupational exposure is likely to occur sometime in this decade, such deaths will continue to be seen for many years thereafter. At their peak, these deaths may account for an estimated 3% of the annual cancer death toll, with an associated range of 1.4-4.456.
La Medicina del lavoro
This review assesses the contribution of occupational asbestos exposure to the occurrence of mesothelioma and lung cancer in Europe. Available information on national asbestos consumption, proportions of the population exposed, and exposure levels is summarized. Population-based studies from various European regions on occupational asbestos exposure, mesothelioma, and lung cancer are reviewed. Asbestos consumption in 1994 ranged, per capita, between 0.004 kg in northern Europe and 2.4 kg in the former Soviet Union. Population surveys from northern Europe indicate that 15 to 30% of the male (and a few percent of the female) population has ever had occupational exposure to asbestos, mainly in construction (75% in Finland) or in shipyards. Studies on mesothelioma combining occupational history with biologic exposure indices indicate occupational asbestos exposure in 62 to 85% of the cases. Population attributable risks for lung cancer among males range between 2 and 50% for definite asbestos exposure. After exclusion of the most extreme values because of methodologic aspects, most of the remaining estimates are within the range of 10 to 20%. Estimates of women are lower. Extrapolation of the results to national figures would decrease the estimates. Norwegian estimates indicate that one-third of expected asbestos-related lung cancers might be avoided if former asbestos workers quit smoking. The combination of a current high asbestos consumption per capita, high exposure levels, and high underlying lung cancer rates in Central Europe and the former Soviet Union suggests that the lung cancers will arise from the smoking-asbestos interaction should be a major concern.