Mortality of Coal-Miners From Carcinoma of the Lung

Abstract

Welsh mining community, and from a study of the comparative mortality from lung cancer in Welsh mining and non-mining towns. These results, together with previously published data which have been reviewed, show that in Great Britain the death rate of coal-miners from cancer of the lung is appreciably lower than the national rate for men of comparable age.This occupational trend is not explicable by any of the factors which are known to influence the prevalence of the disease in the general population. In particular there is much evidence that the cigarette consumption of miners at least equals that of men in other occupations. The exclusion of this and other recognized aetiological factors suggests that the reduced mortality of miners from this disease is a specific effect of their occupation.This effect might be a consequence of the inhalation of coal-dust, for there is some evidence that the incidence of death from lung cancer is lowest among miners whose exposure to coal-dust has been greatest.The recorded mortality from cancer of the lung is appreciably lower for coal-miners than for other men of similar age. The purpose of this paper is to review the data on which this statement is based, to present supporting evidence from previously unpublished material, and to seek aetiological factors which might explain this occupational trend. Kennaway and Kennaway (1936) (Kennaway and Kennaway, 1947).Corroboratory data are contained in the Registrar General's Decennial Supplement on Occupational Mortality (1958), in which it is stated that in England and Wales in 1949-53 the standardized mortality ratio (S.M.R.) of mineworkers and quarrymen aged 20 to 65 for cancer of the lung was 71. For the same period in Scotland the corresponding S.M.R. for coal-miners aged 15 to 64 was 80 (Registrar General for Scotland, 1956). These low ratios were not recorded for most other types of cancer, and during the same five-year period the Registrar General found the S.M.R. for cancer at all sites in the body to be almost the same in miners (S.M.R. = 95) as the national average for men; the low ratio for lung cancer contrasted with a high ratio (S.M.R. = 149) for cancer of the stomach.Evidence concerning the frequency of lung cancer among coal-miners was acquired by Doll (1958)

Carcinoma of the lung in Lancashire coalminers.

“…It has been suggested (James, 1955;Goldman, 1965) that those with pneumoconiosis die before they reach the age at which carcinoma of the lung occurs; it is evident from the mean age at death of those with pneumoconiosis in this series that this is not so. It has also been stated that the diagnosis of carcinoma of the lung may be missed in the presence of PMF (James, 1955;Abbey Smith, 1959;Nealon, 1964), but these papers related to the radiographic diagnoses and not to necropsy examination.…”

“…Of the 573 whose smoking history was known in this group, 91-8% had been smokers. Several papers, summarised by Goldman (1965), have shown that a higher pro-portion of miners than non-miners smoked. Higgins et al (1956) in a survey at Leigh, Lancashire, found that 87-8% of a sample of miners smoked as opposed to 85-7% of a sample of nonmining men in the 55-64 age group.…”

“…Liddell (1973) has shown the unreliability of occupational statistics in giving the correct occupational status of a miner, especially when he has done other work after leaving the mines. Kennaway and Kennaway (1953) and Goldman (1965) using death certification and occupational statistics for their information found a relatively high incidence of 'Pneumoconiosis Medical Panel, Manchester. 'Research associate, Department of Occupational Health, University of Manchester. 3Accredited university teacher, Department of Occupational Health, University of Manchester.…”

Does exposure to coal dust prevent or cause lung cancer?

“…Goldman in his 1965 article,6 Mortality of coal-miners from carcinoma of the lung , presented a review of findings from several published studies and unreported investigations that supported the hypothesis that “mortality from cancer of the lung is appreciably lower for coal-miners than for other men of similar age”. He gives credit for the initial discovery to Kennaway and Kennaway who reported in 1936 that lung cancer mortality among coal miners was approximately 50% lower than among men in other occupations in England and Wales 7 8.…”

Evaluation of the distribution of absorbed dose in child phantoms exposed to diagnostic medical x rays

“…Japanese A-bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Ishimaru et al, 1971;Beebe et al, 1971;Jabon and Belsky,· 1970) ;-b. British-patients-treated with intensive spinal irradiation for ankylosing spondylitis Doll, ·1957", 1965); c._ Studies on practicing radiologists (Seltser and Sartwell, 1965;Warren, 1966;Reissland et al, 1976); d. Human populations exposed t6 alpha emitters, such as underground miners (Goldman, 1965), thorotrast or radium-treated patients (Norris et al, 1955) and radium dial-painters (Clark, 1958); e .. Children irradiated for tinea capitis (Beach and Dolphin, 1962;Albert and Omran~ 1968;Baruch -et al, 1974;Harley et al, 1976); f. · Children -irradiated for. thymic enlargement (Pi far et al., 1963; Toyooka et al, 1963aToyooka et al, , 1963b·Modal, 1974;Hempelmann et al, 1967Hempelmann et al, , 1968Hempelmann et al, , 1974Hempelmann et al, , 1975Silverman and Hoffman, 1974); g. Retrospective interview surveys for pregnant women who received obstetric x-ray examinations (Debakan, 1968;Dawson, 1962;Stewart and Kneal, 1970;Bross, 1972).…”