Nieuwsarchief

Volgens de Britse epidemioloog Peto zal &eacute.&eacute.n op de 10 Australische timmermannen, die vóó.r 1950 geboren is, aan mesothelioom overlijden. Niet alleen het bekende “blauwe” asbest (crocidoliet), maar ook “bruin”asbest (amosiet) is een belangrijke oorzaak. Volgens Peto hebben het Verenigd Koninkrijk en Australië. verhoudingsgewijs het hoogste aantal mesothelioomgevallen ter wereld, t.w. 2000 per jaar in het Verenigd Koninkrijk en 600 per jaar in Australië. Bron: The Age, 22 april 2008. Meer http://news.theage.com.au/

Tussen 2000 en 2050 zullen in Australië, volgens de Britse epidemioloog Peto, 30.000 mensen aan de ziekte mesothelioom overlijden. Volgens Peto zal één op de tien Australische timmermannen die vóór 1950 geboren is aan mesothelioom overlijden. Niet alleen het bekende ‘blauwe’ asbest (crocidoliet), maar ook ‘bruin’ asbest (amosiet) zijn belangrijke blootstellingsbronnen. Het Verenigd Koninkrijk en Australië oogste aantal mesothelioomsterfgevallen per jaar, respectievelijk 2000 per jaar in het Verenigd Koninkrijk en 600 in Australië. De aantallen nemen nog steeds toe. Bron: mesotheliomaweb.org, april 2008. Meer http://www.mesotheliomaweb.org/

In het Canadese Winnipeg zijn in één gezin beide ouders en vier zussen aan asbestziekten overleden. Het gezin woonde aan het meer van Winnipeg in een huis dat geïsoleerd was met Zonoliet. Zonoliet is isolatie-materiaal dat van vermiculiet-asbest gemaakt is. Vermiculiet werd in de vorige eeuw in het Amerikaanse Libby in de staat Montana gewonnen. Bron: The Calgary Herald, 29 maart 2008. Meer http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/

In een omgeving van een fabriek van de voormalige isoleerder en asbestverwerker Miyadera zijn 45 mensen gevonden met een asbestgerelateerde ziekte, allen tussen de 50 en 90 jaar. De groep bestaat uit 3 ex-werknemers, 29 familieleden of kennissen van werknemers, 3 mensen die als kind op het terrein van de fabriek hadden gespeeld en 10 mensen die nooit in of bij de fabriek waren geweest. Bron: The Yomiuri Shimbun, Engelstalig, 31 maart 2008.

Asbest is verantwoordelijk voor de helft van de werkgerelateerde kankersterfgevallen in het Verenigd Koninkrijk in 2004. Het gaat om, naar schatting, 3300 mannen en 540 vrouwen in dat jaar, waarvan de helft aan longkanker en de andere helft aan mesothelioom overleed. Bron: Rushton, L., et al. (2008). The Burden of Cancer at Work: Estimation as the first step to prevention. Occup. Environ. Med. published online 31 Jan 2008. doi:10.1136/oem.2007.037002.

Rushton, L., et al. (2008). The Burden of Cancer at Work: Estimation as the first step to prevention. Occup. Environ. Med. published online 31 Jan 2008. doi:10.1136/oem.2007.037002.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Work-related cancers are largely preventable. The overall aim of this project is to estimate the current burden of cancer in Great Britain attributable to occupational factors and identify carcinogenic agents, industries and occupations for targeting risk prevention.
Methods: Attributable fractions and numbers were estimated for mortality and incidence for bladder, lung, non-melanoma skin, and sinonasal cancers, leukaemia and mesothelioma for agents and occupations classified as IARC group 1 and 2A carcinogens with “strong” or “suggestive” evidence for carcinogenicity at the specific cancer site in humans. Risk estimates were obtained from published literature and national data sources used for estimating proportions exposed.
Results: In 2004, 78237 men and 71666 women died from cancer in Great Britain. Of these, 7317 (4.9%) deaths (men: 6259 (8%). women: 1058 (1.5%)) were estimated to be attributable to work-related carcinogens for the 6 cancers assessed. Incidence estimates were 13338 (4.0%) registrations (men: 11284 (6.7%). women 2054 (1.2%)). Asbestos contributed over half the occupational attributable deaths, followed by silica, diesel engine exhaust, radon, work as a painter, mineral oils in metal workers and in the printing industry, environmental tobacco smoke (non-smokers), work as a welder and dioxins. Occupational exposure to solar radiation, mineral oils and coal tars/pitches contributed 2557, 1867 and 550 skin cancer registrations respectively. Industries/occupations with large numbers of deaths and/or registrations include construction, metal working, personal and household services, mining (not metals), land transport and services allied to transport, roofing, road repair/construction, printing, farming, the Armed Forces, some other service industry sectors and manufacture of transport equipment, fabricated metal products, machinery, non-ferrous metals and metal products, and chemicals.
Conclusions: Estimates for all but leukaemia are greater than those currently used in UK health and safety strategy planning and contrast with small numbers (200-240 annually) from occupational accidents. Sources of uncertainty in the estimates arise principally from approximate data and methodological issues. On balance, the estimates are likely to be a conservative estimate of the true risk. Long latency means that past high exposures will continue to give substantial numbers in the near future. Although levels of many exposures have reduced, recent measurements of others, such as wood dust and respirable quartz, show continuing high levels.

Schipperijn denkt dat asbestwarmhoudplaatjes mogelijk de asbestblootstellingsoorzaak zijn voor gevallen van mesothelioom waarbij geen andere oorzaak gevonden is. Asbestwarmhoudplaatjes waren ruim 50 jaar geleden volop in omloop en werden soms z&oacute. intensief gebruikt dat daar centraal gaten in vielen. Niet denkbeeldig is dat daarbij asbeststof in het keukenmilieu terechtkwam. Dit als commentaar op de in Goor vastgestelde extra incidentie van pleura mesothelioom bij vrouwen, waar bij 8 van de 22 (36%) geen oorzaak kon worden vastgesteld. Bron: Schipperijn, A.J.M. (2007). Milieublootstelling aan asbest in de regio Goor vastgesteld als oorzaak van maligne pleuramesothelioom bij vrouwen. Commentaar. Ntvg, 15 december.151(50), p. 2810.

(Ex-)medewerkers van een kerncentrale in South Carolina, VS, hebben vaker dan gemiddeld mesothelioom. De ziekte werd geconstateerd bij zeven medewerkers waarvan vier werktuigkundigen, een ingenieur, een technicus en een machinewerker. Bron: Richardson, D.B., et. al. (2007). Mortality among workers at the Savannah River Site. American Journal of Industrial Medicine 50, p. 881-891.

Richardson, D.B., et. al. (2007). Mortality among workers at the Savannah River Site. American Journal of Industrial Medicine 50, p. 881-891.

BACKGROUND: Workers employed at the Savannah River Site (SRS) were potentially exposed to a range of chemical and physical hazards, many of which are poorly characterized. We therefore compared the observed deaths among workers to expectations based upon death rates for referent populations.

METHODS: The cohort included 18,883 SRS workers hired between 1950 and 1986. Vital status and cause of death information were ascertained through 2002. Sex-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were computed using U.S. and South Carolina mortality rates. SMRs were tabulated separately for monthly-, weekly-, and hourly-paid men.

RESULTS: Males had fewer deaths from all causes [SMR=0.80, 90% confidence interval (CI): 0.78, 0.82], all cancers (SMR=0.85, 90% CI: 0.81, 0.89), and lung cancer (SMR=0.88, 90% CI: 0.82, 0.95) than expected based upon US mortality rates. The SMR for cancer of the pleura was 4.25 (90% CI: 1.99, 7.97) for men. The SMR for leukemia was greater than unity for monthly-paid (SMR=1.33, 90% CI: 0.88, 1.93) and hourly-paid (SMR=1.36, 90% CI: 1.02, 1.78) men. Female workers had fewer deaths from all causes (SMR=0.75, 90% CI: 0.69, 0.82) than expected, but more deaths than expected from cancer of the kidney (SMR=2.58, 90% CI: 1.21, 4.84) and skin (SMR=3.90, 90% CI: 2.11, 6.61).

CONCLUSIONS: While the observed numbers of deaths in most categories of cause of death were less than expected, there are greater than expected numbers of deaths due to cancer of the pleura and leukemia, particularly among hourly-paid male workers. It is plausible that occupational hazards, including asbestos and ionizing radiation, contribute to these excesses.

Er is een sterke relatie tussen de omvang van blootstelling aan chrysotiel-asbest en het risico op longkanker en asbestose. Dit is de conclusie van een analyse van de sterfte-cijfers van 3072 arbeiders die tussen 1916 en 1977 in een textielfabriek in het Amerikaanse South Carolina met deze soort asbest in aanraking waren geweest. Bron: Hein, M.J., et al. (2007). Follow-up study of chrysotile textile workers: cohort mortality and exposure-response. Occup. Environ. Med 2007.64.616-625.

Hein, M.J., et al. (2007). Follow-up study of chrysotile textile workers: cohort mortality and exposure-response. Occup. Environ. Med 2007.64.616-625.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This report provides an update of the mortality experience of a cohort of South Carolina asbestos textile workers.
METHODS: A cohort of 3072 workers exposed to chrysotile in a South Carolina asbestos textile plant (1916-77) was followed up for mortality through 2001. Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were computed using US and South Carolina mortality rates. A job exposure matrix provided calendar time dependent estimates of chrysotile exposure concentrations. Poisson regression models were fitted for lung cancer and asbestosis. Covariates considered included sex, race, age, calendar time, birth cohort and time since first exposure. Cumulative exposure lags of 5 and 10 years were considered by disregarding exposure in the most recent 5 and 10 years, respectively.
RESULTS: A majority of the cohort was deceased (64%) and 702 of the 1961 deaths occurred since the previous update. Mortality was elevated based on US referent rates for a priori causes of interest including all causes combined (SMR 1.33, 95% CI 1.28 to 1.39). all cancers (SMR 1.27, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.39). oesophageal cancer (SMR 1.87, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.99). lung cancer (SMR 1.95, 95% CI 1.68 to 2.24). ischaemic heart disease (SMR 1.20, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.32). and pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases (SMR 4.81, 95% CI 3.84 to 5.94). Mortality remained elevated for these causes when South Carolina referent rates were used. Three cases of mesothelioma were observed among cohort members. Exposure-response modelling for lung cancer, using a linear relative risk model, produced a slope coefficient of 0.0198 (fibre-years/ml) (standard error 0.00496), when cumulative exposure was lagged 10 years. Poisson regression modelling confirmed significant positive relations between estimated chrysotile exposure and lung cancer and asbestosis mortality observed in previous updates of this cohort.
CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the findings from previous investigations of excess mortality from lung cancer and asbestosis and a strong exposure-response relation between estimated exposure to chrysotile and mortality from lung cancer and asbestosis.

Tussen 1999 en 2002 werd de ziekte mesothelioom in de Verenigde Staten bij gemiddeld 1,11 personen op 100.000 inwoners vastgesteld. Totaal betrof dit 10.926 mensen. Het gaat vooral om oudere, blanke mannen: 75% was boven de 65 en 98% boven de 40. Het aantal mannen was vijf keer zo groot als het aantal vrouwen (79% vs. 21%) De ziekte komt in de VS ongeveer even vaak voor als leukemie en baarmoederhalskanker bij vrouwen. Internationaal vergeleken is de mesothelioomincidentie in de VS drie keer zo laag als in Australi&euml., het land met de hoogste incidentie. Bron: Larson, T., et al. (2007). Incidence and descriptive epidemiology of mesothelioma in the United States, 1999-2002. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2007 Oct-Dec.13(4):398-403.

Larson, T., et al. (2007). Incidence and descriptive epidemiology of mesothelioma in the United States, 1999-2002. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2007 Oct-Dec.13(4):398-403.
Incidence and descriptive epidemiology of mesothelioma in the United States, 1999-2002.Larson T, Melnikova N, Davis SI, Jamison P. To estimate the recent incidence of mesothelioma in the United States and characterize its descriptive epidemiology, incidence data were obtained from the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program. Age-adjusted incidence rates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The U.S. incidence was 1.11 cases per 100,000 persons. Most cases occurred among older, white males. However, 173 cases (&lt. 2%) occurred in persons younger than 40. The proportion of women with peritoneal mesothelioma was triple that of men (14.8% vs 5.4%). Of 40 reporting states, 11 had incidence rates significantly higher than the national rate.

In Spanje zijn tussen 1977 en 2001 1928 mannen van boven de 35 aan de ziekte mesothelioom overleden. Schattingen voorspellen dat tussen 2007 en 2016 nog eens 1321 mannen aan deze ziekte zullen overlijden. Het is nog niet mogelijk om te voorspellen vanaf welk jaar het aantal slachtoffers af zal gaan nemen. Bron: Pitarque, S. et al., (2007). Mesothelioma mortality in men: trends during 1977-2001 and projections for 2002-2016 in Spain.Occup Environ Med. 2007, online 21 sept, doi:10.1136/oem.2007.034769.

Pitarque, S. et al., (2007). Mesothelioma mortality in men: trends during 1977-2001 and projections for 2002-2016 in Spain.Occup Environ Med. 2007 published online 21 sept, doi:10.1136/oem.2007.034769.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate mesothelioma death trends in Spain and to predict future cases of mesothelioma.

METHODS: After descriptive analysis of mesothelioma mortality data, an age-period-cohort model was applied to make projections of mesothelioma deaths.

RESULTS: From 1977 to 2001, 1,928 men older than 35 died of mesothelioma in Spain. Projections indicate that 1,321 men are expected to die from mesothelioma between 2007 and 2016.

CONCLUSION: It is expected that mesothelioma deaths will increase at least until 2016. Available data do not allow a prediction of the year mortality will start decreasing.