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Biomedical subjects

A Sandén

Publications and source records attributed to A Sandén.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Lung cancer and mesothelioma in the pleura and peritoneum among Swedish insulation workers.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the risk of cancer and death in Swedish insulation workers some years after their exposure to asbestos had stopped. One hypothesis was that the risk of lung cancer would tend to decrease some years after the exposure had ended. METHODS: In a cohort study the cancer morbidity and cause of death was investigated in 248 insulation workers and compared with the corresponding morbidity and mortality in the general population. Due to stringent regulations, exposure to asbestos of all types had almost ended in Sweden in the mid-1970s. Through a questionnaire, surviving insulation workers were asked about their exposure to asbestos and their smoking habits. RESULTS: Between 1970 and 1994 there were 86 deaths compared with the 46.0 expected (standardised incidence ratio (SIR) 1.9; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.5 to 2.3), the increase was mainly due to an increased cancer mortality. The morbidity was increased for lung cancer (11 cases v 2.5 expected (SIR 4.4; 95% CI 2.2 to 7.9)), peritoneal mesothelioma (seven cases; no expected incidence could be calculated as the occurrence is too rare in the general population), cancer in pancreas (five cases v 0.7 expected (SIR 7.1; 95% CI 2.3 to 16.7)). No cases of pleural mesothelioma were found. The risk of lung cancer did not tend to approach that of the general population after the exposure to asbestos decreased. CONCLUSIONS: In the 1980s and the early 1990s, Swedish insulation workers still have a highly increased risk of diseases related to asbestos. The attributable risk for death and cancer was about 50%. The study also confirms the previous finding that mesothelioma in insulation workers seems to be situated in the peritoneum more often than in the pleura.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

The importance of lung function, non-malignant diseases associated with asbestos, and symptoms as predictors of ischaemic heart disease in shipyard workers exposed to asbestos.

The mortality from ischaemic heart disease was studied in a prospective cohort of 1725 shipyard workers exposed to asbestos. The analyses were stratified for age and smoking habits and restricted to men. In agreement with other findings, men with impaired lung function had a significantly higher risk (relative risk (RR) = 3.5) of dying from ischaemic heart disease than men with normal lung function. Men with asbestosis or suspected asbestosis had a significantly higher risk (RR = 3.1) of dying from ischaemic heart disease than men without asbestosis. Thus asbestosis or suspected asbestosis also seemed to be a risk factor for ischaemic heart disease. This finding was independent of respiratory function. There was no increased risk for ischaemic heart disease in men with compared with men without pleural plaques. Men with production of phlegm or sputum and wheezing or whistling had no increased risk for ischaemic heart disease compared with men without these symptoms. In the group with normal lung function men with dyspnoea had a significantly higher risk of dying from ischaemic heart disease than men without dyspnoea. The findings for men with asbestosis or suspected asbestosis indicated a further risk factor besides impaired lung function, in persons exposed to asbestos. Perhaps this risk factor is due to lesions of the pericardium with consequences for heart function.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

The risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma after cessation of asbestos exposure: a prospective cohort study of shipyard workers.

A prospective cohort study of 3,893 shipyard workers, mainly exposed to chrysotile, indicated no increased risk of lung cancer 7-15 yrs after exposure to asbestos had ceased. The shipyard workers, however, had an increased risk of pleural mesotheliomas with 11 observed cases versus 1.5 expected. An explanation for these observations may be that asbestos may have different carcinogenic mechanisms in causing lung cancer and mesothelioma. A non-increased risk of lung cancer some years after exposure to asbestos has stopped is in accordance with asbestos acting as a promotor. The high risk of mesothelioma, on the other hand, may indicate that asbestos acts as a complete carcinogen in developing this disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

A study of possible predictors of mesothelioma in shipyard workers exposed to asbestos.

In a prospective cohort study of 3893 shipyard workers, we estimated the value of medical monitoring, including chest radiograph, spirometry, and questions about smoking habits, asbestos exposure, and respiratory symptoms, as predictors of the risk of developing mesothelioma. There was no strong association between different exposure parameters and risk of mesothelioma. Impaired lung function and smoking were not predictors of risk of mesothelioma. Pleural plaque was not found to be associated with an increased risk of mesothelioma. Respiratory symptoms were of low value as predictors of risk of mesothelioma. Thus, traditional methods in health monitoring seem to be of low value in identifying persons with a high risk of mesothelioma in populations exposed to asbestos.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Cancer morbidity in Swedish shipyard workers 1978-1983.

The cancer morbidity in 3787 shipyard workers was studied between 1978 and 1983. In these shipyards the use of asbestos was abandoned in 1972. The overall cancer morbidity was found to be similar to that of the male population of the same city, but there were four cases of mesothelioma. There were 11 cases of lung cancer, as opposed to 9.8 expected cases. Men with both heavy and long exposure to asbestos had no increased risk of lung cancer. The occurrence of pleural plaques was not associated with the risk of developing cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Estimating asbestos exposure: a comparison of methods.

The association between pleural plaques and asbestos exposure was investigated in a cross-sectional study of 951 male shipyard workers. Asbestos exposure was estimated by the men themselves and also by an expert panel whose judgment was based only on occupational title. The analysis was restricted to men who had had at least 20 years of exposure and who had not changed jobs during their period of employment in the shipyards. The results showed that there was a much closer correlation between the occurrence of pleural plaques and the men's own estimates of exposure than between the occurrence and the experts' estimates. Contrary to reports of other investigators, the authors found no association between smoking habits and the occurrence of pleural plaques (rate ratio = 1.0, chi 2 (1) = 0.3).

Asbestosis↗
PubMed1986

Pleural plaques and respiratory function.

This cross-sectional study was comprised of 202 nonsmoking shipyard workers with varying exposures to asbestos. Their chest X-rays were normal or contained no abnormality other than pleural plaques. They participated in a health examination of workers exposed to asbestos, which comprised a total of 3,904 persons. One hundred and fifteen of the 202 workers had no deviations from normal X-rays, and 87 had pleural plaques but no other finding on their X-rays. Three out of the 115 workers with normal X-rays and 13 of the 87 with pleural plaques had FVCs below the reference limits (p less than 0.005). The workers with plaques had an average of 6.9% lower FVC. Even after stratification for asbestos exposure, men with plaques were found to have lower FVCs than men without plaques. This difference was largest for those with heavy exposure to asbestos.

Asbestosis↗
PubMed1985

Mortality in lung and gastrointestinal cancer among shipyard workers.

The risk of shipyard workers acquiring lung cancer and gastrointestinal cancer was investigated retrospectively by analysing the mortality pattern of 365 deceased shipyard workers. Instead of using the proportional mortality ratio (PMR), the odds ratio (OR) was determined according to a method proposed by Axelson, Miettinen and Der Wang. The pattern of causes of death among Swedish males was used as a reference. The OR was 2.3 for lung cancer and 1.4 for gastrointestinal cancer, using death in cancers of other sites (ICD 170-209) as reference diseases. There was a heavy exposure to asbestos, which is the probable cause of the increased risk of lung cancer in this population.

Adult↗