Updated mortality study of a cohort of asbestos textile workers

Limited information is available on risk of peritoneal mesothelioma after asbestos exposure, and in general on the risk of cancer after cessation of asbestos exposure. We updated to 2013 the follow-up of a cohort of 1083 female and 894 male textile workers with heavy asbestos exposure (up to 100 fb/mL), often for short periods. A total of 1019 deaths were observed, corresponding to a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 1.68 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.57–1.78). SMRs were 29.1 (95% CI: 21.5–38.6) for peritoneal cancer, 2.96 (95% CI: 2.50–3.49) for lung cancer, 33.7 (95% CI: 25.7–43.4) for pleural cancer, and 3.03 (95% CI: 1.69–4.99) for ovarian cancer. For pleural and peritoneal cancer, there was no consistent pattern of risk in relation to time since last exposure, whereas for lung cancer there was an indication of a decline in risk after 25 years since last exposure. The findings of this unique cohort provide novel data for peritoneal cancer, indicating that – as for pleural cancer – the excess risk does not decline up to several decades after cessation of exposure.