Biomaterial Database

Past exposure to asbestos and combustion products and incidence of cancer among Finnish locomotive drivers. 1994

P Nokso-Koivisto, and E Pukkala

Occupational Health Services of The State Treasury, Finland.

Locomotive drivers in the steam engine era were exposed to asbestos during their vocational training for two years while training in workshops. Later in their career they had exposure to coal and diesel combustion products. To assess the level of earlier exposure historical working conditions were reconstructed and hygienic conditions were measured. The average exposure to asbestos (mainly anthophylline) fibres > 5 microns was 5.0 fibres/cm3. Incidence of cancer in a cohort of 8391 members of the Finnish Locomotive Drivers' Association, 1953-91, was analysed. The incidence of lung cancer and also total cancer was below the national average, probably due to the low prevalence of smoking among the drivers in the steam engine era. A four-fold risk of mesothelioma was found, most likely caused by exposure to asbestos. Also the observed 1.5-fold incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer and 1.7-fold risk of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx may be related to occupation.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007221	Industry	Any enterprise centered on the processing, assembly, production, or marketing of a line of products, services, commodities, or merchandise, in a particular field often named after its principal product. Examples include the automobile, fishing, music, publishing, insurance, and textile industries.	Tertiary Sector,Industries,Sector, Tertiary,Sectors, Tertiary,Tertiary Sectors
D008297	Male		Males
D009369	Neoplasms	New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms.	Benign Neoplasm,Cancer,Malignant Neoplasm,Tumor,Tumors,Benign Neoplasms,Malignancy,Malignant Neoplasms,Neoplasia,Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Benign,Cancers,Malignancies,Neoplasias,Neoplasm, Benign,Neoplasm, Malignant,Neoplasms, Malignant
D009784	Occupational Diseases	Diseases caused by factors involved in one's employment.	Diseases, Occupational,Occupational Illnesses,Disease, Occupational,Illnesse, Occupational,Illnesses, Occupational,Occupational Disease,Occupational Illnesse
D011890	Railroads	Permanent roads having a line of rails fixed to ties and laid to gage, usually on a leveled or graded ballasted roadbed and providing a track for freight cars, passenger cars, and other rolling stock. Cars are designed to be drawn by locomotives or sometimes propelled by self-contained motors. (From Webster's 3d) The concept includes the organizational and administrative aspects of railroads as well.	Subways,Railroad,Subway
D003031	Coal	A natural fuel formed by partial decomposition of vegetable matter under certain environmental conditions.	Anthracite,Bituminous Coal,Brown Coal,Lignite,Lignitious Coal,Peat Coal,Soft Coal,Anthracites,Bituminous Coals,Brown Coals,Coal, Bituminous,Coal, Brown,Coal, Lignitious,Coal, Peat,Coal, Soft,Coals,Coals, Bituminous,Coals, Brown,Coals, Lignitious,Coals, Peat,Coals, Soft,Lignites,Lignitious Coals,Peat Coals,Soft Coals
D003407	Creosote	A greasy substance with a smoky odor and burned taste created by high temperature treatment of BEECH and other WOOD; COAL TAR; or resin of the CREOSOTE BUSH. It contains CRESOLS and POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS which are CARCINOGENS. It has been widely used as wood preservative and in PESTICIDES and had former use medicinally in DISINFECTANTS; LAXATIVES; and DERMATOLOGIC AGENTS.	Beechwood Creosote,Creosote, Beechwood
D004391	Dust	Earth or other matter in fine, dry particles. (Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)	House Dust,Housedust,Dust, House
D005387	Finland	A country in northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia. The capital is Helsinki.	Aland Islands,Åland Islands
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man