Radiographic abnormalities and mortality in subjects with exposure to crocidolite

• Published in: British Journal of Industrial Medicine Vol. 50; no. 10; pp. 902 - 906
• Main Authors: de Klerk, N H, Musk, A W, Cookson, W O, Glancy, J J, Hobbs, M S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01.10.1993; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Asbestos; Asbestos, Crocidolite - adverse effects; Asbestosis; Asbestosis - mortality; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular diseases; Cause of Death; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Cohort Studies; Death; Employment; Exposure; Humans; Inorganic dusts (pneumoconiosises) and organic dusts (byssinosis etc.); Lung cancer; Lung diseases; Lung neoplasms; Male; Medical sciences; Mesothelioma; Mesothelioma - mortality; Mortality; Myocardial ischemia; Neoplasms - mortality; Occupational Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Occupational Diseases - mortality; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Pleura - diagnostic imaging; Pleural Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Pleural Diseases - mortality; Radiography; Random Allocation; Toxicology; Western Australia - epidemiology; X ray film; Australia; Oceania; Human; Lung disease; Asbestos; Respiratory disease; Toxicity; Mortality; Radiology; Occupational exposure; Mineral fiber; Epidemiology; Public health
• ISSN: 0007-1072; 1351-0711; 1470-7926
• DOI: 10.1136/oem.50.10.902

Plain chest radiographs from a one in six random sample of the workforce of the asbestos industry at Wittenoom, Western Australia between 1943 and 1966 have been classified for degree of profusion and pleural thickening by two independent observers according to the 1980 UICC-ILO Classification of Radiographs for the pneumoconioses to clarify the effect of degree of radiological abnormality on survival. A total of 1106 subjects were selected. Each subject's age, cumulative exposure to crocidolite, and time since first exposure were determined from employment records, the results of a survey of airborne concentrations of fibres > 5 mu in length conducted in 1966, and an exposure rating by an industrial hygienist and an ex-manager of the mine and mill at Wittenoom. By the end of 1986 193 subjects had died. Conditional logistic regression was used to model the relative risk of death in five separate case-control analyses in which the outcomes were deaths from: (1) all causes, (2) malignant mesothelioma, (3) lung cancer, (4) asbestosis, and (5) other causes excluding cancer and asbestosis. Up to 20 controls per case were randomly chosen from all men of the same age who were not known to have died before the date of death of the index case. After adjustment for exposure and time since first exposure, there were significant and independent effects of radiographic profusion and pleural thickening on all cause mortality. The effect of profusion was largely a result of the effect on mortality from malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis but not lung cancer. The effect of pleural thickening was greatest on mortality from other causes, mainly ischaemic heart disease. This study has shown that degree of radiographic abnormality has an independent effect on mortality from malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, and all causes even after allowing for the effects of age, degree of exposure, and time since first exposure.