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Pleural malignant mesothelioma in Tuscany, Italy (1970‐1988): II. Identification of occupational exposure to asbestos
Author(s) -
Chellini Elisabetta,
Fornaciai Gabriele,
Merler Enzo,
Paci Eugenio,
Costantini Adele Seniori,
Silvestri Stefano,
Zappa Marco,
Buiatti Eva
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.4700210413
Subject(s) - asbestos , medicine , mesothelioma , occupational exposure , environmental health , asbestosis , pathology , lung , materials science , metallurgy
Following the finding of an unexpected cluster of mesotheliomas in textile workers, a surveillance system of malignant mesotheliomas was implemented in the region of Tuscany, Italy. This article reports on the investigation of 124 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed and reviewed by the Institutes of Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology at the Universities of Florence, Pisa, and Siena between 1970 and 1988. A complete occupational and asbestos exposure history was assessed through a semi‐structured questionnaire directly administered to resident cases of Tuscany or, if deceased, to their closest living relatives, for a total of 100 interviews. The hypothesis of past occupational asbestos exposure was verified and documented. Seventy‐two cases have been classified as occupationally exposed to asbestos; four were classified in the category of “possible domestic” exposure to asbestos. For two others, the role of other risk factors was stressed, and for 22 cases, either no asbestos exposure was found or the available data were not adequate to define it. The present study allowed identification of some unknown or scarcely known occupational asbestos exposures in the study area.