Asbestos associated tumours in car mechanics

Our plain-English summary of Asbestos associated tumours in car mechanics, by B. Järvholm, J. Brisman (British Journal of Industrial Medicine, 1988).

The study

• Authors: B. Järvholm, J. Brisman
• Journal: British Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Published: 1988;45(9):645-6
• Cited by: 21 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text
• In J-M's library: Johns-Manville's company medical library held a copy (J-M no. 000913).

In plain English

This short report gave preliminary findings from a Swedish register linkage study of car mechanics. It was prompted by concern that asbestos exposure during repair of brakes and clutches might cause lung cancer or mesothelioma. The authors identified 21 905 men recorded in the 1960 Swedish census as mechanics in car repair. They linked them to the national death register (1961-73) and cancer register (1961-79, ages 20 to 69), and compared observed cases with the numbers expected from the general population. One mesothelioma was found in the cancer register and none in the death register. That man, diagnosed at 42 in 1978, had also worked in construction. Between 1961 and 1973, 741 mechanics died versus 776 expected. Of these, 187 died of cancer versus 154 expected, and 39 died of lung cancer versus 23 expected (both p less than 0.01). In the cancer register there were 93 lung cancers versus 73.0 expected. The authors concluded the data indicated no increased mesothelioma risk but a possibly higher lung cancer risk. They said smoking or other exposures might explain this and suggested more detailed study.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Register linkage study comparing observed with expected cases (preliminary report), linking the 1960 Swedish census to the Swedish Cancer Register and the Swedish Death Register
• Who was studied: 21 905 men recorded in the 1960 Swedish census with the occupational title "mechanic" in the "car repair" industry, followed 1961-73 for deaths (all ages) and 1961-79 for cancer (ages 20 to 69), compared with the male general population
• Exposure: Work as a car mechanic, with suspected asbestos exposure from brake linings and clutches during repair; no fiber type and no individual exposure measurements are given
• Main results:
  • Only one case of mesothelioma was found in the cancer register and none in the death register
  • The single mesothelioma case was a 42-year-old car mechanic diagnosed in 1978 who had also worked in the construction industry since at least 1965. His medical record held no information on his total work history or possible asbestos exposure
  • Between 1961 and 1973, 741 car mechanics died, against 776 expected
  • Between 1961 and 1973, 187 car mechanics died of cancer, against 154 expected (p less than 0.01)
  • Between 1961 and 1973, 39 car mechanics died of lung cancer, against 23 expected (p less than 0.01)
  • Cancer register, men aged 20-69: there were 93 lung cancers in car mechanics in 1961-79, against 73.0 expected (30 against 25.8 in 1961-70; 63 against 47.2 in 1971-9)
  • Cancer register, men aged 20-69: there were 661 cancers of all kinds in car mechanics in 1961-79, against 638.4 expected
  • Stomach cancer, included for comparison: 44 cases in car mechanics in 1961-79 against 48.2 expected
  • No expected number could be calculated for mesothelioma because rates were not available
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the data indicated no increased risk of mesothelioma in car mechanics but a possibly higher risk of lung cancer compared with the general population. They considered it reasonable to study in more detail whether car mechanics' occupational exposure causes an increased lung cancer risk
• Limitations the authors state:
  • Car mechanics' smoking habits may be heavier than those of the general population, which could explain the lung cancer increase
  • Car mechanics may be exposed to air pollutants other than asbestos, such as exhaust gases, chromate-containing paints or lubricants
  • This type of linkage study cannot answer whether asbestos explains the lung cancer increase, because none of the confounders can be ruled out

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Auto mechanics and brake work, Lung cancer, Mesothelioma.

Related studies

• Mesothelioma among car mechanics? — H.J. Woitowitz, K. Rödelsperger (1994)
• Cumulative asbestos exposure for US automobile mechanics involved in brake repair (circa 1950s-2000) — B.L. Finley, R.O. Richter, et al. (2007)
• Lung cancer and mesothelioma among male automobile mechanics: a review — F. Laden, M.J. Stampfer, et al. (2004)
• Chrysotile asbestos exposure associated with removal of automobile exhaust systems (ca. 1945-1975) by mechanics: results of a simulation study — D.J. Paustenbach, A.K. Madl, et al. (2006)
• Asbestos exposure among transmission mechanics in automotive repair shops — N. Salazar, M.F. Cely-García, et al. (2015)
• Mesothelioma in vehicle mechanics: is the risk different for Australians? — M.A. Kelsh, V.A. Craven, et al. (2007)

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