Occupational, domestic and environmental mesothelioma risks in the British population: a case–control study

Abstract

We obtained lifetime occupational and residential histories by telephone interview with 622 mesothelioma patients (512 men, 110 women) and 1420 population controls. Odds ratios (ORs) were converted to lifetime risk (LR) estimates for Britons born in the 1940s. Male ORs (95% confidence interval (CI)) relative to low-risk occupations for 410 years of exposure before the age of 30 years were 50.0 (25.8 -96.8) for carpenters (LR 1 in 17), 17.1 (10.3 -28.3) for plumbers, electricians and painters, 7.0 (3.2 -15.2) for other construction workers, 15.3 (9.0 -26.2) for other recognised high-risk occupations and 5.2 (3.1 -8.5) in other industries where asbestos may be encountered. The LR was similar in apparently unexposed men and women (B1 in 1000), and this was approximately doubled in exposed workers' relatives (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.3 -3.2). No other environmental hazards were identified. In all, 14% of male and 62% of female cases were not attributable to occupational or domestic asbestos exposure. Approximately half of the male cases were construction workers, and only four had worked for more than 5 years in asbestos product manufacture. (Hodgson et al, 2005), or about 1 in 170 of all deaths. Substantial exposure to asbestos dust continued until about 1970 in parts of the asbestos industry, and until the early 1980s in the much larger workforce in construction and other occupations in which asbestos lagging was applied or asbestos insulation board (AIB) was sawn. The death rate is still increasing above 60 years of age, but the reduction in asbestos use since the mid-1970s has been followed 20 years later by a rapid fall in the number of mesothelioma deaths at 35 -49 years of age in British men

Effect of a Two‐hour Training on Physicians' Skill in Interpreting Pneumoconiotic Chest Radiographs

“…have potential exposures and environmental sources of asbestos also play a role. Disease clusters of mesothelioma related to environmental exposure to asbestos have also been reported [2][3][4] . They include residences near asbestos or vermiculite mines and prolonged exposure in buildings with open sources of contamination 5) .…”

Estimating Lifetime Asbestos Exposure in Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

“…As well as the valuable data on lifetime mesothelioma risk in different UK occupations, the study by Rake et al (2009) confirmed that a substantial number of men in the current UK general population (of the same age-group at risk of IPF) have had significant and prolonged asbestos exposure in previous jobs and that in some cases this may only be apparent by considering their job titles. As well as having clear research benefits, a UK asbestos JEM could also assist in the management of individual patients being assessed for anti-fibrotic drug treatments (currently only licensed in the UK for IPF) and in assessing eligibility for government benefits.…”

“…Our article referenced evidence from a case-control study of mesothelioma-published in 2009-that clearly demonstrated how common occupational asbestos exposure was historically among the working UK population (Rake et al, 2009). This study found that among 1420 age-matched controls (median age 58-68 years and randomly selected from Health Authority registers), 65% of men and 23% of women had worked in occupations that were classified as medium or high risk for asbestos exposure.…”

“…Many of the male controls (1112 men) had worked in medium-or high-risk jobs for a significant duration of their employment-with 51, 42, and 28% having worked for at least 5, 10, and 20 years, respectively. Despite this, Rake et al (2009) noted that many workers in medium-/high-risk exposure jobs were unable to provide a clear history of asbestos exposure. Possible explanations for this included the time elapsed since the exposure occurred, indirect exposure as a bystander, and handling materials that at the time were not identified as containing asbestos.…”

Assessment of cancer risks due to environmental exposure to asbestos

“…Such outdoor behaviour may increase exposure substantially. Fourth, asbestos waste on roads and yards may be transported into a house by clothes and footwear, similar to the well-known route whereby asbestos workers give rise to asbestos exposure of their next of kin through their work clothes (Magnani et al, 1993;Magnani et al, 1995;Ferrante et al, 2007;Rake et al, 2009;Reid et al, 2008a, b). An investigation in nine houses with erosion of asbestos roof plates on their yards showed indoor concentrations with a maximum of 27,000 fibres/m 3 that were substantially higher than outdoor concentrations well below 1000 fibres/m 3 (Tromp and Tempelman, 1994).…”