Document g2zR9gb8pgQ0xqyRMVXBz3aJN

o A study of the mortality of female asbestos "ncies, and or workers MURIEL L. NEWHOUSE', G. BERRY* J. C. WAGNER*, and MARY E.TUROK' London School ol Hygiena and Tropical Medicina TUC Cantanary Institute of Occupation^ Health1 and the Medical Research Council's Pneumoconiosis Unit. Pananh. Glamorgan* Ntwhoafe, M. I-- Berry, Cm Wiener. J. C.. and Tarek. M. E. (1972). grit, J. iniluitr. Mtd.. 29,1)4-141. A study af the laxrtillty of ftmate tsbeelae worker*. A cohort study of over 900 women employed at an asbestos factory making both textiles and insulation materials is described. It extends the information about asbestos-related disease at this factory which was previously available only for male workers. The cohort was defined as all the women who started employment at the factory between 19)6 and 1942 and the main analysis was ef mortality up to the end of 1968. This analysis was made in relation to job. lenyth of exposure, and ate at first exposure. Compared with national rates there was excess overall mortality amonf those wK6 worked In jobs with low to moderate exposure partly accounted for by deaths from cancer. In the group with severe exposure, who had worked in the factory for less than two years, there was an excess of cancer of the lung and pleura. However, the most marked increased mortality was in those with severe exposure who had worked for more than two years in the factory; in'this group there were excess deaths from cancer of the lung end pleura, from other cancers, and from respiratory diseases. There were no significant trends of exons mortality with age at first exposure. The smoking habits of some of the deceased women were obtained and the indications were that the proportion of smokers in the cohort was higher than the national rate. This could account for some of the excess mortality but the trend of this excess with exposure indicated the rote of asbestos. Necropsy reports and>`or histological material were obtained for 4)*; of those who had died. Three deaths registered as cancer of the pleura were identified as pleural mexothelial tumours: in all lhae were 11 mesotheliomas, six of pleural and five of peritoneal origin. ***** ** dexcrii Jho have bee mtlhods of t *y have al Jintama. 1967 * Tears and *abte infon ^Portion or "Memoretha Jweipal dilfici 7***- Jubseqtx * further attei "o started w EJ? be1w*" period *elve was "ion at thr ***ister (NH5 *"*" yieldec tt encouragii addresses i **o started wt J5* **nt to th '*<0 membet gently alive "Register o either em "fore 1952 an ****h of (,< i 2*ntMted the n current NHSCR. "formation its been empt- W the 64 womt **** visited. I *"4 a final sc: "other 17 wo ***. 576 of th The mortality of male ashcsios workers in mines and factories has been extensively Investigated (Doll. 1955; SelikolT, Churg. and Hammond. 1964: McDonald ft ul,, 19711. There is less opportunity to examine the mortality of female workers although there is considerable evidence that women exposed lo asbestos are at risk of developing asbestos-related cancers and isbeslosis. Kcal (I960) reported a high incidence of peritoneal tumours among women patients suffering from asbestosis. Enticknap and Smither (19641 reported three female deaths in their 11*0 dead.' scries of II patient dying from peritoneal thelioma. Wagner. Slcggs. and Marchind (**JI found nine women with mcsothclial tumours**21 f**a of birth o ~pwn and th *hort at this )) subjects in South Africa. Among 8) paiie" I a confirmed diagnosis of mesniheliat turntxn^L _ the London Hospital (Newhouse and Thofj^S * 19651. 42 were females. In Canada, approw*" w one-third of the mcsothclial tumours rtporte* | a 10-year period occurred in women (McW*** I Harper. El Attar, and McDonald. 19701. M<*^l and El-Attar (1967) included 228 women a"| 154 8004 0035 "7 rays'? 1 SCF-FA-6600