Document ykLk9NXnrdeEGq13r5grROJ04
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UNIROYAL, Inc.
World Headquarters
October 30, 1981
To: J. D. Forbes
From:
W. D. Harris
Subject: Vinyl Chloride, Epidemiological Study
The October, 1981 copy of Journal of Occupational Medicine (pgs. 671-6) contains a study by Theriault et al of the Shawiniqan VC-PVC plants. This study finds excess "digestive" cancer. Since most of this is liver (angiosarcoma) already known to be ? in great excess in this plant, this is not a new observation. No other cancers were present in sufficient numbers to examine statistically. This study does not support the allegation that
vinyl chloride causes lung or brain cancers or leukemia (only one case). Since the study population was limited to workers exposed for five or more years, there has been sufficient time lag (plant opened in 1943) for cancer to manifest itself.
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WDH/mcw attach.
cc: i B, R, Leach. EMIC P. Jonmaire, EMIC file (2)
W. D. Harris, Ph.D. Corporate Industrial Toxicologist
URL-P 2622
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INTERCOMPANY CORRESPONDENCE