Mesothelioma and asbestos fiber type. Evidence from lung tissue analyses.

Lung tissue samples from 78 cases from autopsy of mesothelioma in Canada, 1980 through 1984, and from matched referents were examined by optical and analytical transmission electron microscopic study. Concentrations of amosite, crocidolite, and tremolite fibers, and of typical asbestos bodies discriminated sharply between cases and referents. The distributions of chrysotile and anthophyllite/talc fibers and of all other natural and man-made inorganic fibers (greater than or equal to 8 microns) in the two series were quite similar. Relative risk was related to the concentration of long (greater than or equal to 8 microns) amphibole fibers with no additional information provided by shorter fibers. The proportion of long fibers was much higher for amphiboles than chrysotile and, except for chrysotile, systematically higher in cases than referents. Amphibole asbestos fibers could explain most mesothelioma cases in Canada and other inorganic fibers, including chrysotile, very few. Fibrous tremolite, contaminant of many industrial minerals including chrysotile, probably explained most cases in the Quebec mining region and perhaps 20% elsewhere.