Document rpMJy8xOZBwr9Jn0VGrRjy1DG

CANCER DEBATE percent higher incidence of stomach Continued From Page One cancer than the population at large, adequately for evaluating the possible studies have shown. At present, no re occurrence of occupationally related searchers have determined why. cancers. Because of the insensitivity of "We've been pushing for research (by epidemiologic surveys and various dif the National Institute of Occupational ficulties in conducting them, only agents and industrial processes which Safety and Health) on this since the first study came out in 1977, because lead to rather large excesses have been we just don't know the cause," said identified to date." ^ v Kerr. "Some people believe it might be One problem in picking up on occupa related to coal miners breathing in coal tionally related cancers lies in the fact dust, coughing up the larger particles that such cancers usually have a long and then swallowing them. Whether this latent period -- anywhere from 10 to has any effect, we're not sure. It is 50 years can elapse between exposure something that has to be researched." to a cancer-causing chemical and the' ,- The report also notes, that newspaper first signs of; the -disease, researchers 'printing pressmen have a 125 percent say. ' '* higher rate of mouth and pharynx can In addition, American workers tend cer than the population at large. Ron to change jobs frequently, making it Harris, pressroom manager for Char difficult to monitor a group over a leston Newspapers, said he was una prolonged period of time. Finally, it's ware of that statistic. - often difficult for doctors to pinpoint "I've never heard about that, but cancer to a single cause. The authors of years ago I remember we had a man this report contend that "It is likely here who had a cancer in his mouth, but that many, -if not most, cancers are I don't think it was related to his job," influenced by two or more external fac he said. "I'm 31 years in the trade and I tors. . haven't had any ill-effects," he added. The report notes that "many of the cancers considered here as attributable to occupational exposure would simul taneously be attributable to other fac tors, especially smoking." One of the most carefully scrutinized hazards is asbestos. The government scientists note that the consequences of exposure to asbestos in the U.S. "have only begun to be recognized in the re cent past." They estimate that eight to 11 million workers have been exposed to asbestos in the U.S. since the begin ning of World War II. About four mil lion of those workers were heavily ex posed, the scientists estimate. Of that group, the report predicts that at least 1.6 million are expected to die of asbes tos-related cancers. The researchers note that little is known about several other diseases which appear to be occupationally re lated. For example, coal miners have a 40 i i UCC 100229