COLORECTAL-CANCER IN ASBESTOS-CEMENT WORKERS IN DENMARK

Recent data on the risk of colorectal cancer following exposure to chr ysotile are conflicting. We report on colorectal cancer morbidity in a large cohort of asbestos cement workers from Denmark mainly exposed t o chrysotile. The total cohort had an SIR of 1.23 (95%CI 1.01-1.48). W ith a latency period of 15 years, men employed in the early (1928-1950 ) production period had an SIR of 1.47 (95%CI 1.05-2.01). With the obs ervation of excess risks of colorectal cancer morbidity among chrysoti le exposed asbestos cement workers in both Sweden and Denmark the ques tion on the role of chrysotile in the etiology of colorectal cancer re mains open. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.