Case report: peritoneal mesothelioma from asbestos in hairdryers

Our plain-English summary of Case report: peritoneal mesothelioma from asbestos in hairdryers, by J. Dahlgren, P. Talbott (International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2015).

The study

• Authors: J. Dahlgren, P. Talbott
• Journal: International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
• Published: 2015;21(1):1-4
• Type of article: Case report, Review
• Cited by: 3 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Background: The relationship between mesothelioma and exposure to asbestos is well established. As a result, the use of asbestos in buildings, construction sites, and mines, as well as the implications of disease for the workers has received considerable attention. However, asbestos was also used in household equipment and consumer products, including hairdryers.

Purpose: To examine one case of peritoneal mesothelioma in a hairdresser and review the relevant literature on asbestos exposure from hairdryers.

Methods: The subject's medical and occupational records were obtained and reviewed and a physical examination was performed.

Results: The results indicate that the subject developed peritoneal mesothelioma from her occupational exposure to asbestos containing hairdryers in accordance with the literature.

Conclusion: Hairdryers are possible sources of asbestos exposure in patients with mesothelioma, and the asbestos exposure risk is higher for those who use hairdryers occupationally.

In plain English

This article is a case report of one woman with peritoneal mesothelioma (cancer of the abdominal lining), with a brief review of earlier reports on asbestos from hairdryers. The woman worked as a cosmetologist and makeup artist in New York from 1976 to 1992, using a hairdryer daily and holding a blow dryer 1 to 2 feet from her face. She reported using only asbestos-containing hairdryer models (Conair, General Electric, Gillette) from 1976 to 1982. The article lists chrysotile as a keyword but does not say which asbestos type her hairdryers contained. In 2004, at age 49, scans and surgery found several abdominal masses, the largest 7 cm, and she was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma that August. She was treated with surgery and chemotherapy and died in late 2006. She had smoked cigarettes for 20 years. Reviews of her residence and job histories found no other asbestos exposure. The authors noted her exposure may have been limited to 4 years. They concluded that she developed the disease from work exposure to asbestos-containing hairdryers, and that hairdryers are possible sources of asbestos exposure in mesothelioma patients.

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: case report of a single patient, with a brief review of literature on asbestos exposure from hairdryers
• Who was studied: One woman, evaluated at age 49 in May 2004, who worked as a cosmetologist and makeup artist in New York from 1976 to 1992
• Exposure: Daily work use of hairdryers. She reported using only asbestos-containing models (Conair, General Electric, Gillette) from 1976 to 1982. She held the blow dryer 1 to 2 feet from her face, in periods of 15 to 20 minutes over 8 to 14 hour days, 4 to 5 days a week. She used hairdryers until 1992, 16 years in total. Chrysotile appears among the article's keywords, but the article does not state which asbestos fiber type was in her hairdryers.
• Main results:
  • Surgery found multiple masses in the patient's peritoneal cavity, the largest a 7-cm mass
  • Mesothelioma markers in the patient's tissue were positive (CAM 5.2, EMA, Calretinin, CD5). She was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in August 2004.
  • CA 125 was normal and the findings were judged not to indicate ovarian cancer
  • The patient was treated with surgical debulking and chemotherapy (cisplatin and Alimta), and the tumor responded. She died in late 2006.
  • The patient had smoked cigarettes for 20 years
  • Evaluation of the patient's residence and job histories found no other asbestos exposure
  • The patient's chest radiology was not read by a B-reader. One CT showed diaphragmatic scarring.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the patient developed peritoneal mesothelioma from occupational exposure to asbestos-containing hairdryers. They also concluded that hairdryers are possible sources of asbestos exposure in patients with mesothelioma, with higher risk for those who use them occupationally.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors noted that the patient's exposure may have been limited to 4 years (1976 to 1980)

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Lung cancer, Mesothelioma, Peritoneal mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Peritoneal Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma, Asbestos Exposure, Occupational Exposure.

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