Open AccessClassics in oncology: Asbestos exposure and neoplasia
Author(s) -
Selikoff Irving J.,
Churg Jacob,
Hammond E. Cuyler
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
ca: a cancer journal for clinicians
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 62.937
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1542-4863
pISSN - 0007-9235
DOI - 10.3322/canjclin.34.1.48
Subject(s) - asbestosis , asbestos , mesothelioma , medicine , lung cancer , peritoneal mesothelioma , incidence (geometry) , rectum , stomach , cancer , lung , gastroenterology , pathology , materials science , physics , optics , metallurgy
Building trades insulation workers have relatively light, intermittent exposure to asbestos. Of 632 insulation workers, who entered the trade before 1943 and were traced through 1962, 45 died of cancer of the lung or pleura, whereas only 6.6 such deaths were expected. Three of the pleural tumors were mesotheliomas; there was also one peritoneal mesothelioma. Four mesotheliomas in a total of 255 deaths is an exceedingly high incidence for such a rare tumor. In addition, an unexpectedly large number of men died of cancer of the stomach, colon, or rectum (29 compared with 9.4 expected). Other cancers were not increased; 20.5 were expected, and 21 occurred. Twelve men died of asbestosis.