Document M90o5JyjpovEprK0Lz0DJMQy

FILE NAME: Abex (ABX) DATE: 1964 Oct 8 DOC#: ABX049 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter to Medical Director to American Brake Shoe Company with Attached Newspaper Article O c to b e r 8 1964 PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT AB-40 D r. C. C. B lackw ell M edical D ire c to r AMERICAN BRAKE SHOE C hicago COMPANY Dear C h arlie : The a tta c h e d a r t i c l e from th e P o n tia c P re s s w as b r o u g h t t o toy a t t e n t i o n b y Tom L i e g l . Does th is c a l l fo r any s p e c ia l a c tio n on o u r p a r t a t o u r p la n ts in W in ch e ster, L in d say , M exico, F r a n c e ----- s h o u l d we b r i n g i t t o t h e a t t e n t i o n o f o u r lic e n se e s abroad? /hm c c : MBTerry D. K. R ennie SPNY 000398 T H E r O M ' lA C PR E SS. T U E S D A Y , OCTOBER 6, 19R4 TWELVE Suspect Asbestos as Medical Specialists a Cause of Cancer , By ALTON BLAKESLEE Mucli of the specialists' evi AP Science Writer dence comes from autopsy stud NEW YORK -- Medical spe ies of men working with asbes cialists pointed a strong finger tos as an insulation material. of suspicion today at asbestos as a cause not only of lung can cer but also of another ex tremely rare form of fatal human cancer. . * * *' This cancer, known asmeso thelioma, involves the lining of They said it also is possible that dust from products contain ing asbestos might be exposing people generally to some risk of cancers. How much risk there might be, they said, they could not tell. FLOORING MATERIAL the abdominal and chest cavi Asbestos is used not only for ties. insulation but as a flooring ma- k r - -- -- *----------------- Iterlal, in automobile brake shoes, and in many other appli- ications. Ordinary wear and tear, they said,' might release dust into the atmosphere. * lerials, or possibly from dust raised through normal, wear, they said. . MARKED INCREASE " We had previously found The report was presented to the American Public Health Association by Drs. Irving J. Sellkoff and Jacob Churg of the Mount Sinai Hospital, New that lung cancer and possibly gastrointestinal cancer were markedly increased in incidence among asbestos insulation workers," they said. ' . , .York, and E. Cuyler Hammoud, Now they also find marked Sc.D., director of statistical ly high increase among such research for the American Can workers of mesothelioma, a cer Society. Dr. Hammond is cancer so rare it is not classed known for his studies of cigar separately as a cause of death ette smoking in relationship to in the international classifica lung cancer. * * * tion of diseases. * * . *' ' ' Asbestos is a mineral, mag nesium silicate, and about o'* 'million tons of it arc used kworldwide each year,' they said. In 1935, worldwide u s a g e As a prime example, they reported finding 10 deaths due to this form of cancer in a study of 307 deaths among New York and New Jersey building trades amounted to about 500 tons, the union members engaged in researchers said. using asbestos at least occasion Tiny, hard particles of asbes ally as an insulation matrial. tos can lodge in the lungs during By contrast, this form-of can xhlnlng, processing and applica cor was found to be the cause of tion .of asbestos-containing ma- death among only three out of more than 30,000 autopsies in a I source that might incite ulti study of the general population ' mate cancer. . ' . sponsored by the American Dr. Hammond said one worry Cancer Society. is whether a few or even a sin-' HIGH INCIDENCE Other studies showed a high incidence not only of lung can cer but mesotheliomas among persons who had asbestos particls in their lungs at the time of their deaths, they said. . ' " It would appear that meso thelioma must be added to-the neoplastic (cancer) risks of gle past exposure might set the stage for cancer. He said this is a m atter. calling for more re search. . . , - . ic -k k ' - Taking precautions to avoid breathing in asbestos dust is-a main protection for industrial workers, be and Ur.. Selikolf said. ' asbestos inhalation and joins lung cancer (53 Out of 37 deaths) and probably cancer of the stomach and eolerc (34 of 307 deaths) as a significant compli cation of such industrial expo sure, in the United tales," their-r report said.' ' - \ * * . The cancers may not appear until 20 to 30 years'after asbes-' tos dust is inhaled'or swallowed,' they said. Since the particles do not dissolve, they may remain, in body, tissue'as. a continuous SPNY 000399