Association of asbestos and bronchogenic carcinoma in a population with low asbestos exposure

Abstract

Quantitative counts of ferruginous bodies were performed on digests of lungs from 100 control and 30 lung cancer patients. It was found that the lung cancer group had significantly higher levels, although only 1 patient was known to be occupationally exposed to asbestos. It is suggested that even extremely low levels of asbestos exposure may have a carcinogenic effect.

Relationship between occupations and asbestosfibre content of the lungs in patients with pleural mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other diseases

“…This finding is the opposite of that reached by Warnock and Churg (1975), who compared the numbers of asbestos bodies in 30 cancer lungs and 100 control lungs, both series from an area of low asbestos pollution, and found significantly more asbestos bodies in the lung cancer series. They concluded that even extremely low levels of asbe$tos exposure may have a carcinogenic effect.…”

“…as suggested by Selikoff et al 377 (1973) from surveys of large numbers of insulation workers in the United States. Their view has been supported by Warnock and Churg (1975), who found that in a community free from industrial asbestos exposure lung cancer patients had significantly more asbestos bodies in their lungs than were found in control patients without lung cancer from the same community.…”

Asbestos, asbestosis, pleural plaques and lung cancer

“…On the other hand, there are claims that even low doses of asbestos can increase the risk (20,30,31,34,44,(47)(48)(49)(50)(51). In several studies, it has been shown that exposure to a low dose of pure chrysotile (less than 20 fiberyears) causes no measurable increase in lung cancer (25,(52)(53)(54)(55).…”

Morphology of bronchogenic carcinoma in workers formerly exposed to crocidolite at wittenoom gorge in Western Australia

“…This increase is greater in those who also smoke cigarettes (Selikoff et al, 1964(Selikoff et al, , 1968Berry et al, 1972;Saracci, 1977). While the incidence of all histological types of lung cancer has been found to be increased in asbestos-exposed workers, disproportionate increases in adenocarcinoma (Hasan et al, 1978;Hourihane and McCaughey, 1966;Whitwell et al, 1974;Warnock and Churg, 1975) and small-cell carcinoma (Auerbach et al, 1984;Martischnig et al, 1983) have also been reported. Stayner and Wegman (1983) found that blue-collar workers, particularly craftsmen and labourers, had significant excess rates of squamouscell carcinoma, an effect possibly related to asbestos exposure.…”