Document 3QwaxdxGz8MKeo6JqRoyxqYwE

FILE NAME Newspaper & Magazine Articles NMA DATE 1959 Apr 7 DOC NMA105 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION NYT - Job Relationship to Cancer Sought JOB RELATIONSHIP TO CANCER SOUGHT Times New York Current file Apr 7 1959 ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times 1851 - 2003 JOB RELATIONSHIP TO CANCER SOUGHT 70,000 Workers Studied Cigarettes Are Still | Called a Major Cause | EXCELSIOR SPRINGS Mo. April 6 -More than 70 000 workers are being checked to see them whether their particularly jobs make susceptible to lung cancer Those being studied include cooks fitters and all others who work with asbestos welders painters lead zinc and copper miners workers in the engine rooms of ships and operators of overhead conveyors of metals molten disclosed The check was disclosed at a seminar on cancer research at the Elms Hotel here It is being sponsored by the Ameri- can Cancer Society Dr. Lester Breslow epidemi- ologist of the California State Department of Health said he had questioned more than 70 000 workers in those fields by mail about their health status especially in relation to cancer and was tabulating the answers statistically Other Cause Sought | The study is scientifically sig- because neipfiidceamnitologists whereas believe some that they have proved that cigarette smoking is a major cause of lung cancer other scientists say that cigarette smoking is not enough in itself to account for the marked increase in the incidence of that disease ' the last forty years over Thus scientific investigators are checking occupational haz- ards that might account for the substantial minority of lung cancer cases caused by something else Dr. Breslow continued Lung cancer patients in thirteen California hospitals were tabulated by occupation These were compared with an equal number of patients hospi- talized for diseases other than cancer Among the lung cancer cases were fourteen welders - Only two welders were among the cancer group The other proportions were Cooks 35 cancer cases and 21 cancer molten metals con- veyors 10 and 5 1 lead zinc and 1 fitters painters 22 and 12 and copper miners 9 and 3 marine engine room workers 12 and ' Dr. Breslow 6 and the other epidemiologists emphasized their unanimous agreement that cigarette smoking was cause their of lung opinion cancer certain tional hazards could a prime But in occupa- have a booster effect in smokers and affect smokers Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner Further reproduction prohibited without permission