Reanalysis of non-occupational exposure to asbestos and the risk of pleural mesothelioma

Marsh and colleagues1 have published a review and meta-analysis of non-occupational exposure to asbestos and the risk of pleural mesothelioma. They confirmed that non-occupational exposures to asbestos fibres are associated with a large increased risk of pleural mesothelioma and reported a fibre-type potency difference for non-occupational exposures. A major problem with assessing fibre-type differences is the very few studies in which fibre type can be unambiguously identified. Given the paucity of studies, it is important to have data from the most recent studies with the largest number of cases.

Marsh used PubMed to locate relevant studies. Of the four chrysotile studies they identified, there were one each from Egypt2 and France3 and two from Canada.4 5 The 1998 Canadian publication of Camus et al4 reported seven neighbourhood cases of mesothelioma. The Public Health Institute of Quebec published an updated report of...

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