Malignant mesotheliomas in Kure City, Japan: The relationship of asbestos exposure

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Cancer Investigation; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3109/07357908909041370· OSTI ID:7189510

Kishimoto, T; Sato, T; Ono, T; Okada, K; Masuda, Y; Ito, H ^[1]

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1. Kure Mutual Aid Hospital (Japan)

Eighteen patients with malignant mesothelioma were seen at Kure Mutual Aid Hospital over a 10-year period. According to occupational history, chest x-ray manifestations, and evidence of asbestos bodies in the tissue, 13 of these cases were definitely thought to be due to exposure to asbestos as a result of two or three of these items testing positive. Kure City is one of the major ship-building cities in Japan since the 1920s. Most of the 18 patients worked in ship building before and during World War II. Malignant mesothelioma appeared about 40 years after their first exposure to asbestos. In western countries, most malignant mesotheliomas are thought to be induced by exposure to asbestos fibers. Consequently, there has been a serious effort to deal with this problem recently, including lowering rate of exposure. In Japan, however, there have been few reports that asbestos fibers caused malignant mesothelioma. This report suggests that an increased incidence of malignant mesotheliomas in a specific area of Japan may also be due to exposure to asbestos fibers.

• OSTI ID: 7189510
• Journal Information: Cancer Investigation; (USA), Journal Name: Cancer Investigation; (USA) Vol. 7:5; ISSN CINVD; ISSN 0735-7907
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ASBESTOS
ASIA
CARCINOGENESIS
DISEASES
EPIDEMIOLOGY
JAPAN
NEOPLASMS
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PATHOGENESIS
PATIENTS