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Biomedical subjects

E Merler

Publications and source records attributed to E Merler.

124 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Epidemiologic studies on carcinogenic risk and occupational activities in tanning, leather and shoe industries].

A review is made of the epidemiological studies of occupational cancer risks among tannery, leather and shoe industry workers. The risk of nasal cancer associated with exposure to leather dust, which had already been stressed at the beginning of the 1970's, was confirmed in recent studies. However, a decreasing trend of RR was observed among shoe industry workers. The excess of leukemia among shoe workers, which was mainly based on the description of numerous cases of acute myeloblastic leukemia, has also been confirmed by two cohort studies carried out in Italy and the U.K. In addition to the evident increase in these two diseases, there are indications of an excess of cancer of other sites among leather and shoe workers, particularly bladder cancer, both among workers assigned to leather finishing operations and in leather goods and shoe production workers. Another interesting result is the excess of lung cancer among tannery workers. This evidence is unanimous in the studies carried out in Italy but is not supported by the majority of studies performed in other countries. For this reason, we consider it extremely important to carry out a multicentric study in Italy, with particular attention to the definition of occupational exposures to carcinogens. There are also other isolated reports of excesses of other cancers in the shoe and leather industries but in our opinion they are of dubious interpretation.

Dust↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Prevention of occupational tumors: an update].

A review is made of studies on occupational cancer conducted in different countries in order to compare estimates of the attributable risks (i.e., the proportion of cancers occurring in the general population due to occupational exposure), and to identify the sources of variation. Estimates vary according to several factors, including different study designs and chiefly, different proportions of exposed workers in the geographical areas that have been investigated. For lung cancer, estimates ranged between 1 and 35%, with values of 10-15% occurring frequently; for bladder cancer, the range was between 1 and 19%. The implications of this variability in prevention programmes are discussed and the problems encountered in the identification and compensation of occupational cancer are examined.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Asbestosis mortality in Italy.

A total of 204 deaths due to asbestosis occurred in Italy in the period 1970-1989, including 24 females; asbestosis death rates (per million) were 0.31 +/- 0.05 among males and 0.4 +/- 0.02 among females. The rates increased a little when comparing 1980-89 with 1970-79. Deaths were concentrated in a limited number of geographical areas where an extensive industrial use of asbestos is known to have occurred and where there were also high rates of mortality due to primary pleural tumours.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Pathological effects due to antineoplastic drugs in workers engaged in their production, preparation or administration].

This article reviews the adverse effects of exposure to antineoplastic drugs in workers producing or administering them. Many antineoplastic drugs are carcinogenic or mutagenic to humans and exposure and absorption have been shown to occur during production in pharmaceutical industries or during the preparation and administration in veterinary and health practice. At present few studies have been made on the increased risk of cancer for workers handling these chemicals. However, available data suggest an increased risk of cancer due to exposure to antineoplastic drugs and increased risk of spontaneous abortions and offspring malformations among women workers. This poses a major problem since the majority of health care workers exposed to antineoplastic drugs are women. Therefore, because of these reported effects, it is of the utmost importance to avoid any contact with, and any absorption of these chemicals by using adequate protective equipment during their preparation and administration and by organizing preventive educational programs for the workers.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Cytogenetic indicators of genotoxicity in subjects occupationally exposed to antineoplastic drugs].

The paper reviews the main characteristics of the cytogenetic indicators most frequently used in monitoring early biological effects in groups exposed to genotoxic agents, i.e. chromosome aberrations (CA), sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) and micronuclei (MN) in lymphocytes. The results of the numerous studies on CA and/or SCE performed on hospital or industry personnel potentially exposed to antineoplastic drugs are conflicting, probably due to the different degrees of exposure in different occupational settings, to different sensitivity of the indicators or to their different persistence. However, the studies carried out on groups of subjects who have always worked in protected conditions have given negative results for all indicators.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Occupational cancer in Italy].

The paper is a discussion of occupational cancer in Italy. The introductory section provides the necessary context of Italian industrialization and occupational health regulation. This is followed by a review of Italian epidemiological studies of occupational cancer risks, considered in terms of relative measures of risk and Attributable Risk to carcinogenic agents or exposure circumstances. A section attempts to establish the number of workers who have been exposed to carcinogens in Italy and the intensity of their exposures. Several cohort and case-control studies have addressed the issue of occupational risks, mostly among male workers. The results of these studies suggest that the growing incidence of and mortality by mesothelioma is explained by the widespread and intense exposure to asbestos in some Italian industrial settings. A high Attributable Risk of lung tumors among male populations in industrial areas of northern Italy is explained by occupational exposures. However, insufficient data are available for the clear definition of the extent and intensity of occupational exposure to carcinogenic substances. In Italy, we need to prioritize and maximize resources in occupational cancer epidemiology and to revitalize the role of national institutions. Recent legislation has established new regulations on the handling of carcinogenic substances in industrial settings, a new list of occupational diseases, and a national registry of mesothelioma linked to asbestos exposure. These legislative changes are expected to have positive effects.

Female↗