Document 373RL0oobm2n5no10xgLpwM7y

FILE NAME: DuPont (DUP) DATE: 1965 Nov 24 DOC#: DUP030 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memo from GJ. Stopps c c : Dr. Joseph L. Richmond Plant Manager Chambers Works limited pistrikttion V. GARRETT HUME, 2ND, K.D. MEDICAL DEPARTMENT CHAMBERS WORKS ^ric: C - o o o 5 7 November ?K, 1065 t As ? ou fcnov there has been consid erable I n t e r e s t during the l a s t * ew In the e f f e c t s o f a sb e sto s on persons handling e^the-" the raw m a t e r ia l or products d e rived f r e e I t . The cause f o r concern Is la rg e ly centered around the incidence of cancer in workers with a sb e sto s and the v e r y long "incubation" period which may intervene between the i n i t i a l exposure to asb estos and the development o f cancer. As with cany such r e l a t i o n s h i p s the question o f whether asbestos f i b e r causes cancer i s b ed e v ile d by a number o f apparently c o n t r a d i c to r y f i n d i n g s , but i t seems c l e a r t h a t in c e r t a i n circumstances exposure to asbestoB f i b e r s i s accompanied by an increased m o r ta l it y from ancer o f the lu n g, p le u r a and g a s t r o i n t e s t i n a l t r a c t . Sin ce the Da Pont Company uses a considerable amount o f asb e sto s, l a r g e l y in the form o f pipe i n s u l a t i o n , i t i s o f some importance to examine the medical records o f men engaged in trades handling asbestos to see whether there i s any cause fo r concern about th e ir ealth. . I propose to examine the health records o f the pipe coverers and compare them with a c o n t r o l group who are not known to have had an exposure to a s b e s t o s . l i t i s study w i l l only be concerned with e x i s t i n g medical record s and no c o n ta ct with the men w i l l be required. I s h a l l , o f course, keep you informed as to the progress of our study. GJS/dyb / t cn l' A r i j o n ......... `L <~ \ O RIGINAL SIG N ED BY G. J. STOPPS \* in \ G. J. Stopps, M .B.,B.S. Chief, Physiology Section L t? ; .V L