Document qdpmvErYXQ27KknR2okjBL0vq

TUMORS OF THE SKIN 81 information is available concerning the incidence of tar and pitch cancer in industrial workers in Germany. The evidence on hand, however, suggests that this occupational neoplasia is not unusually frequent in Germany considering the number, size and various types of factories in which tar and pitch are handled. Carozzi noted that in 8 Austrian factories (3 tar plants, 2 gas works, 1 briquette factory, 2 petroleum distilleries employing all together 1,675 workers exposed to tar, pitch and oil) the examination of 145 employees showed that 6 had occupational cancers, of which 4 were caused by tar. There were 3 additional cases suspected of tar malignancy. The four tar cancer cases were found in a tar plant employing 70 workers, whereas 82 of the 145 examined workers had pitch-, tar- or oil-skin. The discovery of industrial tar cancer was reported in France one year after this condition was first described in Germany. Manouvriez observed in a tar distillery 9 cases of tar cancer during the years 1876 to 1877. Following this important observation there elapsed 33 years, just as in Germany, before this occupational neoplasia was again recorded. In 1909 Pellier reported two additional cases of tar cancer. Then 5 years passed before 3 cases of pitch cancer were described by Jaque and Sluys in 1914. Thibierge reported 2 cases in 1918. Courmont, in 1924, mentioned one case published by Bonnet and a second case observed by Berard and cited by Poty in 1923. When Kennaway referred in 1925 in his treatise of tar and pitch cancer among English workers to the incidence of this disease in other countries, he mentioned two unpublished cases which had occurred in France during 1909 to 1925. During the same year (1925) two cases were added to the list of tar cancers in France, one by Leclercq and Cordonnier and the second by Huguenin. The following years brought the publication of several additional cases: Milian and Garnier, 1 case in 19285 Nicolas, Lacassagne and Rousset, 1 case in 1931; David and Brassart, 1 case in 1932; Barthe, 4 cases (pitch) in 1937. Carozzi mentioned that Roussy collected information concerning one definite and two doubtful tar cancers, which had occurred since 1918 among the work ers of a tar distillery located in the region of Arras. Five to six additional cases were said to have been observed among the workers of a similar factory in the same part of France, while five cases were recorded from a factory near Douai (one of which involved the scrotum) (1925). Roussy was quoted to have seen or heard of numerous tar warts and epitheliomas among tar workers employed in factories near Toulouse (1910-1925). Poty, on the other hand, could not find any tar cancers among the workers of tar distilleries and related industries situated in the Department Rhone and adjacent regions. A total of 55 cases of industrial tar and pitch cancer of the skin have been placed on record in France from 1876 to 1937. From Switzerland, Schurch reported in 1930 the occurrence of pitch cancer among corkstone workers (2 cases). This number was increased during the following years: Schurch (1931), 2 cases j Schurch and Schrafl (1931), 1 case5