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Cancer Incidence Among ~Vorkers Exposed t o Radon and Thoron Daughters at a Niobium Mine. Solli, H.M., Andersen, A., Stranden, E., Langard, S. Department of Occupational Medicine, Telemark Sentralsjukehus, N-3900 Porsgrunn, Norway. Scand. J. Work. Environ. Helath ii: 7-13, 1985.

The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of cancer among 318 male em- ployees of a niobium mining company which was only operated between 1951 and 1965. Many of the workers, especially underground miners, were exposed to the daughters of radon and thoron and also to the thorium. The accumulated doses to the workers from short-lived radon and thoron daughters in the mine atmosphere were assessed to be relatively low: up to 300 working-level months. During the follow-up period 1953- 1981, 24 new cases of cancer were observed compared to an expected number of 22.8. Twelve cases of lung cancer had occurred versus 3.0 expected. Among the 77 miners, 9 cases of lung cancer were observed against 0.8 expected. Associations between the oc- currence of lung cancer and exposure to alpha radiation and smoking were found. For the radon and thoron daughter exposure, about 50 excess cases per million person- years at risk per working-level month were observed.

Cancer Mortality in Nonsmoking Women with Smoking Husbands Based on a Large-scale Cohort Study in Japan. Hirayama, T. National Cancer Center Research Institute, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104, Japan. Prev. Med. 13: 680-690, 1984.

Mortality of 91,540 nonsmoking wives was studied in relation to the smoking habits of their husbands by means of a cohort study in Japan. During 16 years of follow-up, 200 deaths from lung cancer took place. The relative risks of lung cancer in these non- smoking wives were 1.00, 1.36, 1.42, 1.58, and 1.91 when husbands were nonsmokers, ex- smokers, or daily smokers of 1-14, 15-19, or 20 or more cigarettes daily, respectively. Corresponding relative risks for stomach cancer were 1.00, 1.16, 1.00, 1.00, and 1.01, respectively. Specificity of associ- ation and internal consistencies were ob- served. Among cancers of each site, a simi- lar tendency toward risk elevataon in non- smoking wives with smoking husbands was observed for nasal sinus cancer, brain tumors, and cancer of all sites besides lung cancer. In interpreting these results, the significance of proximity in exposure to sidestream smoke in Japanese homes was stressed.

Asbestos Disease in Family Contacts of Shipyard Workers. Kilburn, K.H., Lilis, R., Anderson, H.A.

et al. Pulmonary Disease Section, Department

of Medicine, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Barlow-USC Occupational Health Center, Los Angeles, CA 90033, U.S.A. Am. J. Public Health 75: 615-617, 1985.

Radiologic signs of pulmonary asbestos dis- ease were found in 11.3% of 274 wives of ship- yard workers who were 20 or more years from i- nitial hiring-on in shipyards in Los Angeles County. Asbestosis was also found in 7.6% of 79 sons and 2.1% of 140 daughters of these wor- kers. The wives, sons, and daughters were with- out occupational exposure. Comparable radio- graphic signs were not found in comparison groups. It is probable that asbestos exposure in the household places these family members at risk for mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Raised Mortality from Lung Cancer and High Sex Ratios of Births Associated with Industrial Pollution. Lloyd, O.L., Smith, G., Lloyd, M.D. et al. The Environmental Epidemiology and Cancer Centre, Wolfson Institute of Occupational Health, De- partment of Community Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom. Br. J. Ind.

Med. 42: 475-480, 1985. Geographical and temporal associations were

shown between high mortality from lung cancer and a high sex ratio of births both in the town of Bathgate (Scotland) and in the area of that town which was most exposed to polluted air from a local steel foundry. These finding~ con- stituted a replication of a similar association in an adjacent town.

Mortality in Lung and Gastrointestinal Cancer among Shipyard Workers. Sanden, A., Naslund, P.-E., Jarvholm, B. Gota- verken Foretagshalsovard AB, S-40275 Goteborg, Sweden. Int. Arch. Occup. Environ. Health 55: 277-283, 1985.

The risk of shipyard workers acquiring lung cancer and gastrointestinal cancer was inve- stigated retrospectively by analysing the mor- tality 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 re- ference. 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 popula-

tion.

Asbestos Body Concentrations in Human Lung: Predictions from Asbestos Body Counts in Tissue Sections with a Mathematical Model. Vollmer, R.T~, Roggli, V.L. Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center,

Durham, NO, U.S.A. Hum. Pathol. 16: 713-718,