Document 0gB4byBm9VOkxOaV1Exk7gexk

t OFFICE TR 5-6946 HILLIS L. SEAY. M.D. HUNTERSVILLE. N. C. > INTERNAL MEDICINE (DISEASES OF THE CHEST) RESIDENCE TR 5-6712 November Ij., I96I4. lir. J. T. Griffis H. K. Porter Co., Inc. 1000 Seaboard Street Charlotte, N..C. Dear Sirs: Recently, at the request of K. K. Porter of Charlotte, N. C., I had the opportunity of attending an inter national conference on asbestos with particular re ference to asbestosis and cancer. In my opinion, the research workers there presented certain findings of major importance to the entire asbestos industry. Briefly, I would like to report their major findings: 1. On the basis of evidence thus far accumulated crocicolite and anosite are the important types of asbestos as far as disease is concerned.(In the Charlotte plant, it appears that crysotile and amosite are used in a ration of 20 to 1.) 2. In a'group of 585 people dying of asbestosis, 50;3 were found to have some type of malignant neoplasm. . 3., A surprisingly large number of patients with asbestosis develop pleurisy on one or both sides. / OFF1CE.TR 5-6946 HILLIS L, SEAY, M.D. Huntersville. N. C. INtERNAL MEDICINE (DISEASES OF THE CHEST! * -2- b - RESIDENCE TR 5-6712 This pleurisy eventually leads to a malignant disease of the pleura, called mesotheliona..(In this type of tumor, asbestos bodies and asbestos fibers are found.) i|.. The time interval from the onset of pleurisy to the development of a malignant tumor varies from 5 to 1^.3 years. 5. In many patients with carcinoma(cancer), asbes- tosis was shown to be a definite causative factor* I 6. In 500 autopsies in Cape Town, South Africa and ` in 600 autopsies in Miami, Florida, 30$ of the men and 20$ of the women were found to have asbestos bodies. (This is damaging evidence as to the ex , tent of inhalation of asbestos fibers in urban . dwellers.) "The changing pattern of hazard can be summarized thus. In the early days men working in uncontrolled conditions de veloped asbestosis within a few years and died young often of~its complications, pneumonia or tuberculosis. As factory conditions altered and the control and treatment of tubercu losis and pneumonia improved, the onset of the disease was delayed anti the late effects of fibrosis, such as bronchi ectasis, bronchitis and cor pulmonale were more common. Still more recently the workers who have developed only OFFICE TR 5-6946 HILL1S L. SEAY, M.D. Huntersville. N. C. INTERNAL MEDICINE (DISEASES OF THE CHEST) ,,^_ _ RESIOENCE TR 5-6712 moderate degrees of astestosis have survived long enough to develop the associated bronchial carcinoma. In addition, and unexpectedly, we are at this time seeing the late effects of exposure to certain types of asbestos (occasionally only environmental) which were insufficient to produce apprec iable lung fibrosis but have after a delay of li.0 or more years led to mesothelial tumours in the pleura and else where (Taken from M.R.C. Pneumohiosis Research Unit, Gla morgah, Wa le s .) There are certain suggestion which I think are pertinent to this situation. These are: 1. Dust control in .the amosite portion of every plant should be reviev/ed at this time,and appropriate measures taken to provide maximum control. (Com pulsory 'wearing of masks would apparently be in dicated.) 2 If feasible, more crysotile and less amosite should be used. (That may not be possible or desirable.) 3 Workers in this division should be more carsfullv and more frequently examined. k Autopsies on those dying of ashestosis should be -done if at all possible and funds for such en deavors should be provided for. (These would shed more light on the problems of the industry.) J '< \t OFFICE TR 5-6946 H1LLIS L. SEAY. M.D-. HUNTERSVILLE. N. C. INTERNAL MEDICINE (DISEASES OF THE CHEST) -4- RESIDENCE TR 5-6712 5. No one with asbestosis should be allowed to work either with or without a waiver for these are the people who will eventually develop mesothelior.ata and other forms of cancer such as bronchogenic malignancy. (This requirement would work to the benefit of the individual as well as the entire industry.) This letter was written only in the hooe of helping the industry in this serious situation which is developing in the wake of this recent conference. (Other conferences such as this one will no doubt materialize in the future. KLStrnnp Sincerely yours, H cICj ->P. JLa.*, Hillis L. Seay Plant Physician, K.2.Porter, Inc * Charlotte, N. C. . * . " t