Naval Veterans Found to Have High Lung Cancer Cases Connected to Asbestos
The report discusses how asbestos exposure led to increased occurrences of asbestos-related lung cancers among navy personnel. This insight stems from a joint study conducted by the University of Adelaide and Oxford University, analyzing data from British and Australian troops who served in the 1950s and 1960s, a period when asbestos-containing materials were prevalent on naval vessels.
The study initially focused on radiation exposure from British nuclear testing but discovered a higher incidence of mesothelioma, strongly linked to asbestos, in naval personnel across all cohorts.
Dr. Richie Gun from the University of Adelaide
and Dr. Gerry Kendall from Oxford University further delved into this data,
examining the occurrence of lung cancers associated with asbestos exposure.
Their findings revealed
a higher overall rate of lung cancer among naval personnel compared to other
armed services, and although smoking remains the primary cause of lung cancer,
the excess observed in the navy couldn't be solely attributed to a higher
smoking rate.
Naval Veterans Found to Have High Lung Cancer Cases
Connected to Asbestos
The absence of actual
airborne asbestos level measurements made estimations challenging, yet the researchers
concluded that the elevated lung cancer rate among sailors likely resulted from
onboard asbestos exposure. They reinforced this conclusion by noting deaths
among sailors due to asbestosis, a non-cancerous but potentially fatal
condition associated with asbestos exposure.
Their estimates
indicated that approximately 27% of lung cancers in Australian seamen and 12%
in British seamen were linked to onboard asbestos exposure.
Despite strict
regulations in Australia concerning asbestos-containing materials, there were
still reported cases of asbestosis-related deaths, emphasizing the ongoing risk
to workers and some households.
Dr. Gun highlighted the
importance of considering lung cancer alongside mesothelioma and asbestosis
when evaluating the effects of asbestos exposure. While acknowledging smoking
as the primary cause of lung cancers, he emphasized the contribution of agents
like asbestos to cancer incidence in exposed populations.
Additionally, the study
revealed an enhanced risk of lung cancer due to the combined impact of smoking
and asbestos exposure.
The report's findings
underscore the significance of stringent measures to safeguard workers from
exposure not only to asbestos but also to other harmful airborne particles,
such as those from engineered stone found in many kitchens. Dr. Gun stressed
the necessity for strict control measures to protect workers from various
hazardous dusts beyond asbestos.
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