An update of cancer mortality among chrysotile asbestos miners in Balangero, northern Italy.

Abstract

The mortality experience of a cohort of chrysotile miners employed since 1946 in Balangero, northern Italy was updated to the end of 1987 giving a total of 427 deaths out of 27 010 man-years at risk. A substantial excess mortality for all causes (standardised mortality ratio (SMR) = 149) was found, mainly because of high rates for some alcohol related deaths (hepatic cirrhosis, accidents). For mortality from cancer, however, the number of observed deaths (82) was close to that expected (76-2). The SMR was raised for oral cancer (SMR 231 based on six deaths), cancer of the larynx (SMR 267 based on eight deaths), and pleura (SMR 667 based on two deaths), although the excess only reached statistical significance for cancer of the larynx. Rates were not increased for lung, stomach, or any other type of cancer. No consistent association was seen with duration or cumulative dust exposure (fibre-years) for oral cancer, but the greatest risks for laryngeal and pleural cancer were in the highest category of duration and degree of exposure to fibres. Although part of the excess mortality from laryngeal cancer is probably attributable to high alcohol consumption in this group of workers, the data suggest that exposure to chrysotile asbestos (or to the fibre balangeroite that accounts for 0-2-

Cancer mortality in a cohort of asbestos textile workers

“…In this study, oro-pharyngeal and laryngeal cancers presented similar results: seven male and no female deaths, and 2.3-fold elevated SMR, comparable to other Italian asbestos-exposed cohorts (Piolatto et al, 1990;Puntoni et al, 2001). Since these findings may simply reflect bias or confounding (Griffiths and Malony, 2003), we computed expected deaths and SMR for male laryngeal cancer also applying Piedmont regional mortality rates, which were available from 1970 but the SMR decreased only slightly, to 213.5.…”

“…Cohort studies found increased incidence and mortality from mesothelioma among (chiefly male) asbestos workers employed in mining (Piolatto et al, 1990;McDonald et al, 1993), but mainly textile and manufacture (Newhouse and Berry, 1979;Berry et al, 2000;Yano et al, 2001), insulation (Selikoff et al, 1979) and asbestos-cement factories (Tulchinsky et al, 1999;Ulvestad et al, 2002). Mesothelioma risk varied widely among different studies, according to types of asbestos involved (chrysotile, amosite or crocidolite) (Hodgson and Darnton, 2000) and levels of exposure (Doll and Peto, 1985).…”

Update of Potency Factors for Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma

“…With α allowed to vary (α = 0.937) the estimate is K L = 0.00051 (f-yr/ml) −1 with 90% CI: (0, 0.0057). Two mesotheliomas were observed by Piolatto et al (1990), compared to one found by Rubino et al (1979). However, data were not presented in a form that allowed K M to be estimated.…”

“…Lung cancer was neither significantly in excess nor was it significantly related to cumulative asbestos exposure. Piolatto et al (1990, Table 1) presented observed and expected lung cancers (based on ageand calendar-year-specific rates for Italian men) categorized by cumulative exposure in f-yr/ml. The lung cancer model [Eq.…”

“…The uncertainty factor F2 was set equal to 1.5 to reflect use of a conversion factor that was derived from paired samples, but that was based on a project-wide average, rather than addressing variation for specific, local operations. Piolatto et al (1990) conducted additional follow-up of workers at a chrysotile mine and mill in Italy that was earlier studied by Rubino et al (1979). The cohort consists of 1058 workers with at least 1 year of employment between 1946 and 1987.…”