Document 2ZmMYOROwd0pN5wBYdw0omeb

Sixty-one cases of lung cancer have been recorded Hueper, 1932) consider that a causal relationship in persons with asbestosis (Boemke. 1933 ; Hueper, between asbestosis and lung cancer is either proved 1932) since Lynch and Smith (1933) reported the or is highly probable and the reality of the relation first case. In view of the infrequency of asbestosis, ship was agreed at the recent International Sym this large number of cases suggests--hut does not posium on the Endemiology of Long Cancer prove--that lung cancer is an occupational hazard (Council of the International Organization* of of asbestos workers. The strongest evidence that it Medical Sciences, 1933). A minority, however, may be a hazard has been produced by Merewether remains sceptical (Cartier, 1932; Warren. 1948), and by Gloyne. Merewether (1949) found that lung and,according to Huepcr(1932), Lanza and Vorwald. - cancer was reported at necropsy in 13*2% of cases so that it was thought desirable to undertake a of asbestosis (31 out of 233) but in only 1;3% of fresh investigation. cases of silicosis (91 out of 6,884) and Gloyne (1931), on personal examination, found lung cancer in Necropsy Data 14-1% of necropsies on subjects with asbestosis (17 Since 1933, records hare been collected of all the ,-ius :0n ng out of 121) against 6-9% in silicotics (33 out of 796). coroners' necropsies on persons known to have Neither author gave full details of the sex compo been employed at a large asbestos works.* Patho -al sition of the groups examined, but since women logical diagnoses in 103 consecutive cases are m form a higher proportion of asbestos workers than summarized in Table 1. Details of the cases in nd of persons employed in occupations liable to give Tasu 1 iie rise to silicosis (coal-miners, stonemasons, pottery CAUSES OF DEATH DIAGNOSED AT NECROPSY AMONG workers, foundrymen, metal grinders) and since lung PERSONS EMPLOYED AT AN ASBESTOS WORKS (1>U-3Z> n- nS 'ly canceris less common among women, the differences in the proportions of cancer cases .cannot be Canon of Dnmh AstaMosie AtbauM Piaoniw Ahmt All Cun accounted for by differences in sex distribution. In ~ Han fhihooo " J4 II 45 fact the proportions which are more properly com Puhoomnr mbomilooio 12 9 21 parable with the findings in silicotic subjection: the 1 UfTf T* " * Other 4mm of the mpintory 15 3 It proportions of lung cancer found among men with tymm .............................. Odnrioaai.............................. 10 4 4 14 3. asbestosis, 17-2% in Metewether's series and 19-6% in Gloyne's. Allcaainn 75 I 105 Jf Animal experiments are inconclusive. A positive which lung cancer was found are shown-in Table 2. result was reported by Nordmann and Sorge (1941) During the first half of the period eight deaths 'd d s who found that of 10 mice which had been exposed to asbestos dust and survived for 240 days, two developed lung carcinoma. Smith (1932), however, occurred in which lung cancer was found in asso ciation with asbestosis, while in the second half of the period there were seven such cases and a further considers that one of the " carcinomas " was, in three in which lung cancer was found without fact, an example of squamous metaplasia and that asbestosis. The number of asbestos workers the other, an adenocarcinoma, may have developed employed at the works increased steadily from 1914, spontaneously from the common mouse adenoma. A negative result has been reported by Vorwald and ntamwUnin ortmd by tb* < Karr (1938). The majority of workers (cited by in hi* spmioa, ibntn nay btapaaioa of ubmoo busory cam* of `