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Saturday 20, November, 2004 13:30 - 15:30, No.2 Conference Room Workshop E Epidemiology and Public Health Chairs: Gunnar Hillerdal and Kohki Inai Sverre Langard Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Norway [not- attended] ABSTRACT In Norway and neighbouring countries the use of asbestos for insulation was reduced to a minimum during the second half of the 1970's and the early 1980's. This decline in the use resulted to a great extent from comprehensive information to workers on the untoward effects to health of asbestos exposure. The information to workers was supported by introduction for personal protection when handling asbestos, as well as prohibition of use in the early 1980. Depending on the duration of the development time for mesotheliomas, between first exposure to asbestos fibers and occurrence of the tumour, a declined incidence might be expected 20-45 years subsequent to interruption of asbestos exposure. All the Nordic countries all have cancer registers that contain information on all new cancer cases over the past 40-60 years. Hence, the mesothelioma incidence in these registers might be versatile for observing the long-term outcome effects from interrupted exposure to asbestos among workers that took place about 25 years ago in Norway and other Nordic countries. About 25 years after interruption of asbestos exposure in Nordic countries, a decline in the mesotheliomas incidence seems to be lacking, and possible explanations for the lack of decline will be discussed. A prediction of the expected decline will be attempted. |