Cancer Risk of Insulation Workers in the United States

摘要

Three investigations were made of workers exposed to asbestos insulation materials. In one study, the entire membership of the insulation workers union in the United States and Canada was registered for observation. Another group consisted of workers hired between 1941 and 1945 by a factory which manufactured amosite asbestos insulation materials until 1954. Among asbestos insulation workers in the U.S., approximately one death in five has been the result of lung cancer. Incidence of gastro-intestinal cancer was more than double that of the general population, and mesothelioma was responsible for 7% of all deaths. Increased incidence of lung cancer was seen as soon as 10 to 14 years from onset of exposure. It is suspected that more intense exposure experienced by factory workers is associated with earlier appearance of asbestos lung cancer. However, although early lung cancer increase was seen, the greater increase occurred 30 to 45 years from exposure onset, especially among the less intensely exposed insulation workers. Data indicate that these risks were associated with the asbestos insulation materials per se. There was no evidence that chrysotile was associated with greater risk than amosite, or vice versa.