Mesothelioma: has patient had contact with even small amount of asbestos

Journal Article · Fri Mar 27 04:00:00 EST 1987 · JAMA, J. Am. Med. Assoc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6584172

Mesothelioma, primarily an asbestos-related cancer, has traditionally been tracked through the incidence rate in workers handling asbestos directly. Now, epidemiologists are recording cases of the tumor in persons who have worked with materials containing even small quantities of asbestos. The lower concentrations of asbestos were thought by many to have minimized the susceptibility of workers to mesothelioma. But as cases of the malignant tumor appeared in tradesmen, epidemiologists began to suspect that the concentration level of the fibers was not the prime concern. Further studies showed that one fiber of a certain length can lodge in the pleura of the lung, and 40 years later, the patient will exhibit signs of dyspnea, chest pain, or both.

• OSTI ID: 6584172
• Journal Information: JAMA, J. Am. Med. Assoc.; (United States), Journal Name: JAMA, J. Am. Med. Assoc.; (United States) Vol. 257:12; ISSN JAMAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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