International Agency for Research on Cancer Press Release, Asbestos and Cancer: A New Evaluation (1976)

A one-page press release (IARC/63) of December 23, 1976, from the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization in Lyon, "Asbestos and Cancer - A New Evaluation." A working group that met December 13 to 17 concluded that all commercial forms of asbestos caused cancer in animals and that human occupational exposure to all commercial forms "has resulted in a high incidence of lung cancer and mesotheliomas." It named asbestos miners, factory and building-site workers, shipyard workers and garage mechanics repairing brake linings as at risk, and noted mesotheliomas among people living near asbestos factories.

What it shows

The group also found that smoking and asbestos acted "in a multiplicative way" on lung cancer risk, and that "at present it is not possible to assess whether there is a level of exposure to asbestos in humans below which an increased risk of cancer would not occur." Someone underlined the passages on human exposure and on mechanics and neighborhood cases in this copy.

In Johns-Manville's index

Johns-Manville's legal department indexed the Motley 1,000 in 1984. Its index describes this document as follows:

1-page press release from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France, entitled "Asbestos and Cancer--A New Evaluation," 12/23/76. The press release states that the main conclusions of the working group convened by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, which met 12/13-17/76, are the following: 1) All commercial forms of asbestos have been shown to be carcinogenic in mice, rats, hamsters, and rabbits. 2) Human occupational exposure to all commercial forms of asbestos has resulted in a high incidence of lung cancer and mesotheliomas. The release then mentions the various groups of individuals who are at a risk to asbestos-related disease, including asbestos miners, shipyard workers, garage mechanics, factory workers, and persons living in the vicinity of asbestos factories.

About this copy

This is document 860 of the Motley 1,000, from the set the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust's records facility certified as true copies, pages CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-004586 to CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-004586.