[A retrospective cohort study of workers in small asbestos industries in south Osaka]

A retrospective cohort study was carried out on asbestos workers who had received health examinations in 1972 to 1974 conducted by the Osaka Health Center. The subjects, total of 789 (329 males, 460 females) were followed-up for 10 years (Jan. 1, 1975-Dec. 31, 1984). There were sixty-one deaths in the cohort--4 tuberculosis, 12 malignant neoplasms (4 stomach cancers, 8 respiratory cancers including one case of pleural mesothelioma), 18 circulatory diseases, 24 respiratory diseases, and 3 other causes of death. Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was calculated age and sex-specific death rates for the general population in Osaka between 1975-79 and 1980-84. SMR for all causes of death, stomach cancer, respiratory cancer, circulatory diseases, and respiratory diseases were 1.15, 3.29, 0.75, 3.88, 0.93 and 8.63 respectively. Respiratory cancer and respiratory diseases showed statistically significant (p less than 0.01) excess death with a mean death age of 59 and 56 years old respectively.