Document o9NvEJOg02jkjKNYwRJLwOzXX

INDUSTRIES To: H. B. Lovejoy, M.D. INTER OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE December 7, 1976 From: F. C. Dehn Location: West Subject: Capillary Microscopy Thanks for your memo of November 29 attaching Drs. Johnson and Whetstone's response to capillary microscopy and its application to early detection of angiosarcoma caused by vinyl chloride. I do not know Dr. Whetstone but have met Dr. Maurie Johnson. At the last MCA-VCM meeting. Dr. Johnson related the same story he wrote you. In his verbal comments there he sounded somewhat more discouraged about the results. I think everyone would like to see a better detection method for VCM overexposure; and to that end, I would like Dr. Johnson to encourage you and any others to pursue methods of detection that are easy, absolute, and early enough to prevent crippling effects. It's been at least a year and a half since I spoke with Maltoni at his Bologna Laboratories. He just mentioned microscopy of blood vessels then. However, his was a more complex approach than that of Maricq and Leroy. Maltoni used the electron microscope and examined the very newest capillaries in the finger tips. He had just begun this work with a graduate student at the University of Bologna, as I recall, and had high hopes for it but little data at the time. I wish I could comment more intelligently on approaches such as the microscopy technique. I'd say, as your plant and divisional medical responsibilities permit any contributions to improve industrial medicine in our problem areas, it would be welcome. I had asked Zeb to get some information on the approach that other companies are using with regard to the OSHA VCM medical tests required. I had hoped that we could get together sooner and review this whole picture but there have been too many pressing problems in plant compliance permits and slow Company responses to do this sooner. Hopefully, we will have some addi tional input from Dow soon whereupon I plan a discussion of the medical considerations on VCM (chlorinated organics) in early February that would involve yourself, Perez-Roig, Grant, Zeb and myself. I'd like to explore it in this fashion, then consider a regular schedule of such meetings with all Chemical Division Drs. and perhaps include plant industrial relations directors if they would consider this helpful. U Ar FF.. Cc.. DDeehhnn cc: . Z. G. Bell, Jr. W. P. Lawrence * ft-i a orw A.l.lrt F. C. Ludden H. C. Twiehaus SL 027976 OEC 07 1976