Document Rj6ezzk76D5XO704mOQpNarDa

08/05/2003 TUG 15:33 FAX 312 996 1899 UIC LHS CHICAGO @004 Remarks 80 yr foundry work Also cirrhosis of liver Probably not due to asbeatoo Probably not asbestos . Diagnosis from hospital record no autopsy Probably not due to asbestos 1 coronaries * osbestosis in August ing cancer . MALIGNANCIES--LIEBEN 621 and eight had various other growths which included two abdominal cancers, one bladder cancer, two lymphatic leukemias, one acute leukemia, one lymphoblastoma, and one multiple myeloma. No cases of mesothelioma were in this group. There were four cases in former plant employees but these em ployees had been admitted to hospitals either prior to 1956 or after 1964 and because of that are not included in this study. The diagnosis of the condition of these 21 patients had been established in 13 by au topsy, in four by operation, in two by biopsy, and in two by x-ray only. The death certificates of all 21 were ob tained. The malignancy diagnosis was re ported on 15 death certificates. Six were signed out as follows: two as cardiac failure, one as coronary disease, and three as asbestosis. If death certificates alone had been utilized in this study, these six cases of malignancy would have been missed. The smoking history of the 13 lung cancer patients revealed that five had never smoked, seven smoked, and in one case no smoking history was obtainable. Of the eight pa tients with other malignancies, three were cigarette smokers, two never smoked, and three were cigar smokers only. Of the 21 patients with cancer, 13 had worked in the textile department of the plant only, for a sum total of 301 years. Four worked in the friction materials department for a total of 48 years. The department where one man had worked remains un known and three others worked at various jobs which included both textiles and friction materials (Table 1). Two of the 13 lung cancer and one of the lymphoblastoma patients had worked in the asbestos plant for a period of less than six months each, which is a rather short ex posure. One wonders if this short exposure could have contributed towards their dis<ease. Eighteen of these 21 patients had started work in the plant prior to 1940 and 12 had started work prior to 1920. Of the 21 patients with cancer 9 were between 50 and 60 and 12 were over 60 years of age (Table 2). Comments and Conclusions vr>. The incidence of malignancy in this se lected group of hospital admissions with asbestosis was very high--21 out of 68. This is eight times higher than in the general population 45 years of age and over, for the eight years of the study period. The incidence of 19% (or 16% if we do not consider exposures of less than one year) of lung cancer in this group ,/>f work ers with asbestosis is comparabl&^'o that reported by Isselbacher1 who summarized data of various authors and reported that of 603 persons with asbestosis, lung cancer was found in 83 (13.8%). It is also close to that reported in the literature review by Behrens who collected 44 cases of lung cancer (14%) in 309 patients with asbesto ses. Only three patients with these malig nancies had their first exposure after 1940, when dust conditions had been much im proved. A repeat study in the future may clarify whether this reduction of cancer occurrence in more recent employees is due to a latent period, to the age factor, or to the dust control measures instituted by the plant. The patients with lung cancer were gen erally younger than those with cancers of other organs. Eight of those in the lung cancer group were under 60 and all eight of those in the other group were over 60 (Table 2). Summary A study of 68 hospital admissions with asbestosis from an asbestos textile and fric tion materials plant included 21 malignancies --13 of these were carcinoma of the lung and eight carcinomas of other organs. Eigh teen of the patients had exposures to as bestos in their occupational environment for a period of 10 to 36 years. Only three pa tients had their first exposure after 1940. Extensive dust control measures have been instituted by the plant. REFERENCES Isselbacher, KJ.; Klaus, H.; and Hardy, H.L.: AW(Bstosis and Bronchogenic Carcinoma: Report of One Autopsied Case and Review of Available Litera ture, Amor 1 Med 15:721-722 (Nov) 1953. 2. Doll, R.: Mortality from Lung Cancer in Asbestos Workers, Brit J Industr Med 12:81-86 (April) 1955. 3. Hueper, W.C.: Environmental Causes of Cancer of the Lung Other Than Tobacco Smoke, Dis Chest 30:141-159 (Aug) 1956. 4. O'Donnell, W.M.: Mesothelioma Associated With Asbestosis: A Report of Three Cases, Cancer 19:521 (Aug) 1966. 5. Cancer Mortality and Morbidity, Harrisburg, Pa: Pennsylvania Department of Health, 1964. 6. Behrens, W., lr.: The Clinical Picture and Pa thology of Asbestosis, Z Unfallmed, Berufskr 45:129, 1952. Arch Environ Health--Vol 13, Nov 1966 tI it. !. t ft) 1 ,! /