Only One Lesson to be Learned

Although we agree that the high numbers of diseases caused by asbestos worldwide and the consequences for individual patients merit the word “tragedy”, we wish to comment a few issues which represent the repeatedly [1] [2] [3] published opinions of Prof. Baur, but are not common scientific knowledge.

• References

• 1 Baur X, Letzel S, Nowak D. Ethik in der Arbeitsmedizin. Orientierungshilfe in ethischen Spannungsfeldern. Landsberg: ecomed Medizin; 2009
• 2 Baur X. Asbestbedingte Erkrankungen. Kein Ende in Sicht. Dtsch Ärztebl 2016; 113: 1-4
• 3 Baur X, Woitowitz HJ. Lungenkrebs als Berufskrankheit. Pneumologie 2016; 70: 510-513
• 4 Anonymus. Asbestos, asbestosis, and cancer: the Helsinki criteria for diagnosis and attribution. Scand J Work Environ Health 1997; 23: 311-316
• 5 Tannapfel A. Jahresbericht Deutsches Mesotheliomregister. 2014 available here: http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/pathologie/mam/content/jahresbericht2014.pdf
• 6 Roggli VL, Gibbs AR, Attanoos R. et al. Pathology of asbestosis- An update of the diagnostic criteria: Report of the asbestosis committee of the college of American pathologists and pulmonary pathology society. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2010; 134: 462-480
• 7 Churg A, Wright JL. Persistence of natural mineral fibers in human lungs: an overview. Environ Health Perspect 1994; 102 (Suppl. 05) 229-233
• 8 De Klerk NH, Musk AW, Williams V. et al. Comparison of measures of exposure to asbestos in former crocidolite workers from Wittenoom Gorge, W. Australia. Am J Ind Med 1996; 30: 579-587
• 9 Finkelstein MM, Dufresne A. Inferences on the kinetics of asbestos deposition and clearance among chrysotile miners and millers. Am J Ind Med 1999; 35: 401-412
• 10 Dumortier P, Thimpont J, de Maertelaer V. et al. Trends in asbestos body counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid over two decades. Eur Respir J 2003; 22: 519-524
• 11 Nuyts V, Vanhooren H, Begyn S. et al. Asbestos bodies in bronchoalveolar lavage in the 21st century: a time-trend analysis in a clinical population. Occup Environ Med 2017; 74: 59-65
• 12 Oberdörster G. Determinants of the pathogenicity of man-made vitreous fibers (MMVF). Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2000; 73: S60-S68
• 13 Barber CM, Wiggans RE, Young C. et al. UK asbestos imports and mortality due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Occup Med 2016; 66: 106-111
• 14 Attanoos RL, Alchami FS, Pooley FD. et al. Usual interstitial pneumonia in asbestos-exposed cohorts – concurrent idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or atypical asbestosis?. Histopathology 2016; 69: 492-498
• 15 Murray HM. Statement. In: Minutes of Evidence, Appendices and Index. Departmental Committee on Compensation for Industrial Diseases. London: His Majesty’s Stationary Office; 1907
• 16 Cooke WE. Fibrosis of the lungs due to the inhalation of asbestos dust. Brit Med J 1924; 2: 147
• 17 Cooke WE. Pulmonary asbestosis. Brit Med J 1927; 2: 1024
• 18 AWMF. Leitlinie „Diagnostik und Begutachtung asbestbedingter Berufskrankheiten“. Registernummer 002 – 038. 2010
• 19 Wilken D, Velasco Garrido M, Manuwald U. et al. Lung function in asbestos-exposed workers, a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Occup Med Toxicol 2011; 6: 21
• 20 Monsó E, Tura JM, Pujadas J. et al. Lung dust content in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a study with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x ray analysis. Br J Ind Med 1991; 48: 327-331
• 21 Yamamoto S. Histopathological features of pulmonary asbestosis with particular emphasis on the comparison with those of usual interstitial pneumonia. Osaka City Med J 1997; 43: 225-242
• 22 Ausschuss für Gefahrstoffe. Begründung zur Exposition-Risiko-Beziehung für Asbest in Bekanntmachung zu Gefahrstoffen 910. Exposition-Risiko-Beziehung für Asbest. 2008 www.baua.de
• 23 Van Cleemput J, De Raeve H, Verschakelen J. et al. The “gold standard” for past asbestos exposure. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2002; 165: 134
• 24 Woitowitz HJ. Die Asbestkörperchentheorie ist tot. Deutsches Mesotheliomregister – was nun?. Zbl Arbeitsmed 2016; 66: 232