Mesothelioma among Workers in Asbestiform Fiber- bearing Talc Mines in New York State

Asbestos-related disease among talc miners and millers in a group of mines in two counties of northern New York State has been noted and disputed since the 1930s. One of the two counties was identified as among the 10 in the USA with the highest mesothelioma mortality up to 1981 for both men and women. Eight talc miners had been identified in previous studies as having mesothelioma. In the current study we: (i) report five new cases of mesothelioma among talc workers; (ii) present the results of and demonstrate the similarity between lung fiber burden analyses for selected cases and controls; and (iii) update mesothelioma mortality in this district using demographic and cause of death cancer information from 1950 to 1997. Our results indicate that New York talc exposure is associated with mesothelioma, and deserves further public health attention.