Abstract
The past occupational exposure to asbestos of 23 patients with mesothelioma (21 men and two women) has been evaluated by a personal interview of their work history and by determination of the fibre burden in their lung tissue with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x ray microanalysis. According to the work history, nine patients (39%) had definitely been or probably been exposed to asbestos, six patients (26%) had had possible exposures, and eight patients (35%) unlikely or unknown exposure to asbestos. The two female patients were in the unknown exposure category. The fibre concentrations in the patients' lung tissue ranged from less than 0.1 million to 370 million fibres (f) per g dry tissue. Concentrations of over one million f per g dry tissue were found in 15 patients (65%). The lung fibre concentrations of all nine male office workers analysed for reference were less than one million f per g dry tissue. Seventy eight per cent of the patients with mesothelioma had at least possible exposure according to their history of work or concentrations of more than one million f per g dry tissue.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Churg A. Chrysotile, tremolite, and malignant mesothelioma in man. Chest. 1988 Mar;93(3):621–628. doi: 10.1378/chest.93.3.621. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Churg A., Wiggs B. Fiber size and number in workers exposed to processed chrysotile asbestos, chrysotile miners, and the general population. Am J Ind Med. 1986;9(2):143–152. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700090205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hirsch A., Brochard P., De Cremoux H., Erkan L., Sebastien P., Di Menza L., Bignon J. Features of asbestos-exposed and unexposed mesothelioma. Am J Ind Med. 1982;3(4):413–422. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700030407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Magee F., Wright J. L., Chan N., Lawson L., Churg A. Malignant mesothelioma caused by childhood exposure to long-fiber low aspect ratio tremolite. Am J Ind Med. 1986;9(6):529–533. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700090604. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mowé G., Gylseth B., Hartveit F., Skaug V. Fiber concentration in lung tissue of patients with malignant mesothelioma. A case-control study. Cancer. 1985 Sep 1;56(5):1089–1093. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19850901)56:5<1089::aid-cncr2820560522>3.0.co;2-y. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mowé G., Gylseth B., Hartveit F., Skaug V. Occupational asbestos exposure, lung-fiber concentration and latency time in malignant mesothelioma. Scand J Work Environ Health. 1984 Oct;10(5):293–298. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.2326. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Penttilä A., Karhunen P. J. Alkoholverbrauch bei Männern mit plötzlichem unerwartetem Tod in Helsinki. Beitr Gerichtl Med. 1989;47:361–368. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tuomi T., Segerberg-Konttinen M., Tammilehto L., Tossavainen A., Vanhala E. Mineral fiber concentration in lung tissue of mesothelioma patients in Finland. Am J Ind Med. 1989;16(3):247–254. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700160303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]