| | |

Mesothelioma and Tile Production Linked by New Case Studies

ByAlex Strauss
mesothelioma and tile production

Two newly published case studies have drawn a link between malignant mesothelioma and tile production. 

The authors of the new report analyzed the cases of two people who contracted mesothelioma after working for a tile manufacturer. 

Both people were exposed to talc in their work. This is likely where they encountered the asbestos that may have triggered mesothelioma.

Understanding the Different Types of Tile

Malignant mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. Before the 1990s, many homes and businesses were built with asphalt or vinyl ‘tiles’ made with asbestos. These types of tiles are still in many older buildings. Disturbing or removing them can pose a risk for mesothelioma. 

But the current report focuses on ceramic tile workers. Mesothelioma and tile production of this type are not usually linked. Ceramic tile production does not require asbestos. It may, however, use talc. 

According to the talc company, Golcha, “When used as a filler in ceramics, talc can improve the firing characteristics of the greenware and the strength of the finished product.” It can also reduce the processing temperature and firing time, potentially cutting costs.

Talc, Mesothelioma and Tile Production

Talc and asbestos are naturally occurring minerals. They frequently lie close together in the ground. This is how talc can become contaminated with asbestos. 

Recent legal cases have highlighted the risk of mesothelioma from personal care products containing talc. But the new case studies of mesothelioma and tile production are the first to focus on this means of exposure. 

Pathologists with Dodson Environmental Consulting analyzed lung tissue from the two sick workers. The workers contracted mesothelioma after years of producing tile with talc. Their examination showed why mesothelioma and tile production may go hand-in-hand for some. 

“Both were found to have ferruginous bodies in their lung tissues as well as elongated talc fibers/ribbons and elevated numbers of noncommercial amphiboles [asbestos] in their tissues,” states the report. 

Ferruginous bodies show up under the microscope as small brown nodules in the alveoli. They are a sign of heavy asbestos exposure.

Another Industry at Risk from Asbestos?

Several industries face a risk of mesothelioma because of asbestos exposure.

Plumbers, electricians, and construction workers have higher rates of mesothelioma. Industrial workers like mechanics and machinery operators may also be at risk. But mesothelioma and tile production have never been linked in this way before. 

“To our knowledge, this is the first report of tissue assessment for the presence of elongated mineral particles in individuals whose exposures to talc occurred while working in the manufacture of tile products and who developed the fiber-related cancer – mesothelioma,” states the report. 

Only about 2,500 Americans a year are diagnosed with mesothelioma and tile production is a relatively niche industry. But the new report is a reminder that asbestos can pose a threat even in unexpected places. 

Sources:

Dodson, RF, and Poye, LW, “Tissue burden evaluation of elongated mineral particles in two individuals with mesothelioma and whose work history included manufacturing tile”, January  2020, Ultrastructural Pathology, Epub ahead of print, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01913123.2019.1709935?journalCode=iusp20

Similar Posts

  • |

    Ape Virus Shrinks Mesothelioma Tumors in Lab

    ByAlex Strauss

    A virus that causes leukemia in gibbon apes may have the power to help fight malignant mesothelioma in people. Gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) has been tested for years as a viral vector, a carrier of therapeutic genetic information, in the treatment of various human illnesses, including cancer. A new study in Japan compared GALV with a leukemia virus derived from mice to see which carrier communicated most efficiently with mesothelioma cells. While both types of viruses replicated in most of the mesothelioma cell lines tested, the mouse-derived virus was not effective in a mesothelioma cell line called ACC-MESO-1. In this cell line, only the GALV spread efficiently both in culture and in mice that had been given human mesothelioma…

  • |

    Teacher’s Diagnosis Highlights Mesothelioma Risk in Schools

    ByAlex Strauss

    A recent mesothelioma diagnosis in the UK once again dramatically highlights the fact that even a small amount of asbestos can be deadly. Sixty-three-year-old school teacher Marion Potts of Brockenhurst died of mesothelioma in a Southampton hospital in June. According to an article in The Mirror, the Coroner recorded a verdict of “death from an industrial disease” after hearing evidence last week that Potts actually saw asbestos dust being released when she pinned work on the classroom walls. Most recently, Potts was head of the English department at Romsey School in Hampshire until her retirement two years ago. Mesothelioma is a growing threat among school teachers, administrators, maintenance workers, and even students in British schools. A government report released last…

  • |

    Study Confirms Firefighters at Elevated Risk for Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    A 5-year National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study of U.S. firefighters is the first to confirm what has long been suspected: Firefighters are definitely at higher risk for malignant mesothelioma. The study examined the mortality patterns and cancer incidence (including mesothelioma) among 30,000 firefighters in three major cities. The study subjects were all career firefighters who started their careers after 1950 and were followed through 2009. In order to get a diverse sample of firefighters from across the country, the study focused on firefighters from San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia. Comparing firefighters to a sampling of the general public, the study looked at 92 causes of death and 41 cancer incidence groupings, with a focus on 15…

  • | |

    Micro-RNAs May Offer New Way to Fight Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    Scientists at one of the world’s top mesothelioma research centers, the Asbestos Diseases Research institute in Sydney, Australia, say that restoring the expression of certain micro RNAs in the cells of mesothelioma patients may offer a new way to fight the disease. A microRNA is a small RNA molecule which is involved in the regulation of gene expression. According to a new report in the Annals of Oncology, the Australian scientists found reduced expression of the micro RNA-15 family (miR-15/16) in the cells of mice with mesothelioma. “When malignant pleural mesothelioma cell lines were compared with the normal mesothelial cell line MeT-5A, the downregulation of miR-15/16 was 2- to 10-fold,” they report. This finding is consistent with previous cancer research…

  • |

    Mesothelioma Claims Another American Actor

    ByAlex Strauss

    Another American actor has died of malignant mesothelioma. Veteran character actor Ed Lauter, who worked with such prominent names as Clint Eastwood, George C. Scott, Burt Reynolds and Tom Cruise, died this week in Los Angeles. According to the Associated Press, one of Lauter’s most notable roles was that of a prison guard in the 1974 Burt Reynolds film “The Longest Yard”. He also appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Family Plot”, “Born on the Fourth of July” with Tom Cruise, and most recently played a butler in the 2011 Oscar-winning film “The Artist”. Lauter’s television appearances included “The Office”, “ER”, “Murder She Wrote” and “The Rockford Files”. Although little is being said about the origin of Lauter’s mesothelioma, an aggressive…

  • |

    Last Man Sentenced in Asbestos Dumping Scheme

    ByAlex Strauss

    The U.S. Justice Department has announced that a New Jersey man will spend 15 months in prison for his part in a scheme to illegally dump thousands of tons of asbestos-contaminated construction debris – putting others at risk for mesothelioma. He was the last person to be sentenced in the conspiracy. Asbestos is the cause of mesothelioma, a difficult to treat and aggressive cancer.  At the height of its popularity from the 1940s to the early 1970s, asbestos was common in building products ranging from floor and ceiling tiles to joint compound, concrete and shingles. It is still present in tens of thousands of older homes and buildings today. In an effort to protect workers and the public from mesothelioma…