Document LKMNO41ZK66eMXV0LY0D2vJgQ

FILE NAME Kent KNT DATE 1949 DOC KNT113 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Editorial - Asbestos and Cancer of the Lung - The Journal of the American Medical Association Barry Castleman's Kent File ROM Document# Kent 23 2323 Type of Document DATE 1949 1949 Undated published report from reviewed journal published article from trade publication - published article from newspaper - proceedings from annual meeting - published abstract from conference - unpublished report - unpublished presentation meeting agenda minutes report letter - memo - government report standard - government warning information - industry warning information - legal OF THE American Medical Association Edited for the Association Under the Direction of the Board of TRUSTEES BY . MORRIS FISHBEIN M. >. VOLUME 140 . - AUGUST 1949 oe - "|" AMERICAN MEDical association chicago 10 1949 aN + ope bare; EDITORIALS . . - 1219 - Toss sof oges magnetic accelerated in the field of the ASBESTOSIS target cleon cleon strike the of the machine .. | AND CANCER OF THE LUNG Until recently the coexistence of asbestosis and can- recently on the basis of acute experiments with e assumption was granted that neutrons were many cer of the lung was considered by investigators a coincidence Since 1935 23 such cases were recorded @ re than five times as effective as roentgen rays by American English and German physicians Wedler ' purposes a2 = logic Recent work and the sad expe- ience of these young physicistps hysicists point to the probability hat a grave underestimate was made and that for cer- ain organ systems such as the lens and the gonads - noted 14 cases of asbestosis cancer in a series of 92 necropsies on patients with asbestosis or about 15 per cent of cancer of the lung in persons who died from this industrial discase The exposure time ranged to eight effectiveness eutrons may havefofurour riginally suspected times the times from 3 to 27 years average 15 yeais in 17 cases were 35 to 75 years average Unfortunately for the physicists protection pro- edures and exposure limits were based on the earlier .ssumption ' Once again as the past with roentgen | Until now thequestion of a asbestosis and cancer of the one The recently published causal relation between lung has been an open Annual Report of the ays and radium people have unwittingly been injured Chief Inspector of Factories in England for 1947 jefore an adequate understanding of a hazardous agent provides additional data on the actual existence of such vas had Furthermore even now dosimetric methods ; interrelations During 23 years 1924 to 1946 inclu- or neutrons are unsatisfactory sive 235 deaths either caused by asbestosis or in which of of An understanding the mechanism interaction asbestosis had been established at necropsy were of radiation with the components of biologic matter becomes important In the case of roentgen rays the reported to the Chief Inspector Cancer of the lungs or pleura was found in 31 these cases 13.2perper high 17.2 mergy is first given to electrons which move at speed through the tissue These ~ electrons in turn cent Of the 128 male deaths in this group 22 per cent were complicated by cancer of the 17.2 lung dissipate their energy by collision with biologic matter one causing chemical alterations However the damage to 111 e cell by electron is relatively small while of 107 female deaths 9 8.4 per cent were similarly affected The mean age at death from asbes- tosis complicated by cancer of the lung was 52.1 years A causal relation between asbestosis cancer of the The The case of neutrons the energy is principally dis- lung is supported by the following observations The sip od by collision with the hydrogenous component incidence rate of cancer of the lung in this group is .ue The high speed protons thus set in motion liberate a large amount of energy per unit length of excessive since the normal death rate from cancer of the lung among adults examined at necropsy at bath Thus the passage of one high energy proton present is about 1 per cent of all necropsies Moreover through a cell may produce sufficient destruction to there is a distinct shift in the sex distribution of cancer injure it permanently of the lung in the series of asbestosis cancers reported There is evidence that roentgen rays are relatively effective only against dividing cells while neutronsneutrons may from England The female sex ratio is 2.4 1 general it 5 while is 1 for cancers of the lung in This indicates that an en lung effects produced produced by neutrons may be both qualilatively different from the and of the roentgen ray The urgency for researchin this relatively unex- plored field is evident os In a broader sense the experience of these young oc upational tending tosis group to equalize the incidence rate of group cancer the lung for both sexes Recent experimental observations support this interpretation of clinical evi- dence Nordmann and Sorge exposed mice to inhala- tion of asbestos dust and found that in 20 per cent physicists points the tremendous responsibility of the surviving animals there developed squamous cell devolving on those the physicistengineers and the agencies supporting their work are concerned with . exploring the new frontiers of the physical cancer originating from the bronchial mucosa while other types of epithelial proliferation were present in 42 to per cent of these animals in addition to diffuse sciences Itis not enough to dismiss the responsibility with the mere warning that a danger may exist or or nodular fibrosis of the lung The histologic character . of the cancers squamous cell cancer instead of adeno- to rapolate as was done with the neutron from in ate analogies The biologic implications of the ng nknowns should be subjected to investigation physical pel pel with their vib implications and with equal 9 carcinoma seen in the spontaneous cancer of the lung of mice and the histogenetic derivation of the tumors bronchial mucosa instead of alveolar epithelium of the spontaneous type indicate that a specific factor of Lungenkreba 1. Wedter H. W Asbestore un schr GB 573 1943 Deutsche med Webn- 6. Slone N. .: Neutron Therapy and Specific Temization Am J. Roentgenol SD 771-785 June .1948 Evans T. C The Effects of Small Daily Doses af Fast Neutrons on kiice Radialaer 80 211.218 2. Extract from Annual Report of the Chief Inspector thie Year 1947 Medical His Section London Majesty's 15-17 Office 1947 pp Stand 15-17 . ee o. @ oe of Factories for Stationery CURRENT COMMENT | Aux | Aux exogenous origin represented by the inhaled asbestos Foley's patient who was an alcohol addict ther dust was responsible for the bronchial cancers observed : Since some 20,000 workers are employedin the asbes- country producing industries of this and,Canada and many additional thousands in various asbestos- consuming industries increased attention to this prob- able occupational hazard ofcancer of the lung by the medical profession is desirable Cytologic examinations of the bronchial secretion may well be included in the periodic examination of workers asbets o atsbo estsos dust whenever clinical or roentgenologic evidence indi- the cates pulmonary As available As the possible existence of a available shows evidence evidence evidence evidence evidence shows thatthe cancer occurrence occurrence occurrence changes nephritis uremia indicating a late stage of chronic gion and death occurred with the sympto Such changesin thekidney are perhap interpreted as accidental necropsy findingperhaps relationship disc direct to the syndrome under A diseasein rabbits apparently analogous to t nonsuppurative panniculitis in man has been des by Reynals $ and others The cause of i Christian's disease is unknown CRISIS IN Further evidence SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH that the the mmeeddiiccaalliioonnggffeessssioinon medicaliongfession medicaliongfession coordinate and intensity its protection of the ft _ of cancer of the lungis related to pulmonary asbestosis merely and is not a possible sequela of exposure to asbestos dust in all fatal cases of asbestosis there should be postmortem examination with detailed histo- logic analysis The anatomic lesions produced by asbestos dust in the lungs make difficult at times dis- tinction by clinical and roentgenologic diagnostic methods between changes of pneumoconiotic nature and those that might indicate a cancerous growth carry on experimental studies on animals in l tories is providedin report on this type of legis Representatives in the District of Columbia twenty national health and science groups hospitals lay groups and governmental agencies united behind Senate bill 1703 providing for : tory use of the 7,000 to 10,000 unclaimed dogs destroyed each year in the District pound The political frenzied distortion and pressure by an sectionists have the the bill placed Medical the National Society for in jeopardy accord accord Research Current Comment NODULAR PANNICULITIS CHRISTIAN DISEASE Christian's disease or nonsuppurative nod- ular panniculitis is characterized by recurring episodes of fever and the development of numerous painful and 3 slightly tender subcutaneous nodules In only 3 of 33 recorded cases was death apparently dueto the disease In the case reported by Kritzler in which society quotes Dr. A. C. Ivy its secretary to the effect that members of the special Senate bill bill mittee to which the favor of it but the issued out Dr. Ivy has was referred are persona probably will not be rej an appeal that interested sons write letters of endorsement to Senator J. Ho McGrath of Rhode Island who introduced the sure and Senator Margaret Chase Smith of A chairman of the subcommittee Some such conc action is necessary at state as well as national to beat back efforts of a small misguided gro necropsy was done the nodul^/r lesions were limited to the subcutaneous fat However fat emboli were found in the lungs and there waswidespread acute necrosis of the liver and spleen In the case examined obstruct the advancement of science FIRST TELEVISION NETWORK SHOW HEALT Spain at necropsy by and Foley necrotic found not only in the subcutaneous fat mesenteric mesenteric mesenteric omentaomentall and and pretrachmal pretrachmal pretrachmal fat fat areas were but th Fat Fat The first health education program ever pret , necrosis were not foundin the lungs nor were areas of necrosis observed in the liver or spleen However foci of fat necrosis were present in the region of the pancreas A third case investigated at necropsy was that of Mostoh and Engleman in which nonsuppurative pau- niculitis involved the skin the epicardium and the peri- periadrenal pancreatic The nodules The earliest perirenal and mesenteric tissues in the fat of variable are appearance lesions consist of small accumulations of laden macrophages Later there are some- present what larger lesions that small areas of central necrosis in the immediate vicinity of which are lympho- cytes polynuclear leukocytes and laden macro- . i =( , ! i it phages In still older nodules the necrotic material is decreased or absent and the lesions are partially or completely replaced by fibrous tissue In Spain and f a2 oot ae2 PPae aier se Path Fuley J. Suppurative LanniculiL1tain9sn4ic4ulitisArch 43 Be 1. A Case of 3. SSKproiactianl1e94r0-1914941013-19944140-19a41ndp 47 20 Path 763 F. 3. . Christian's Disease Proc New York Pauniculitis J. .: Suppurativa Pauniculitis Am , Path FatFaatall FatalRelapsing 417 April 194F7eFberbriillee Non-Non-Non- June 16. titled Chicago program Transmitted as far west as Your Good Health and the M Atom was arranged through the Bureau of ^ Education of the American Medical Association - produced under the supervision of Mrs. H Hester radio coordinator for the Bureau The gram dealt with the use of radioisotopes in med ' particularly radioactive iodine Dr. Paul C. Aebe Chief isotopes Division United States A Energy Commission Oak Ridge Tenn was viewed by an NBC announcer on the principl radioactivity With a Geiger counter specially a fied Dr. Acbersold demonstrated first how radioac can traced and atoms identified Later with p furnished by Dr. Sidney C. Werner Werner Columbia ~ of Physicians and Surgeons and Presbyterian Ho he demonstrated concentrationofradioactive iodi the thyroid 4. RDeuy rann als - Fatty and Muscular .: Necrotizing NecrNecrootizintg izing DiseasDe isease inin RaRbabbbiittss ^ Tissues Yale | J. Biol Sc Med 18 393 1946