Carcinoma ofthelunginLancashire coalminers

Theprevalence atdeath ofcarcinoma ofthelunginminers andex-miners hasbeen compared inthose withandwithout pneumoconiosis atnecropsy.Theprevalence of11.4u/% in thegroup asawholeisno greater thanthatinthemalepopulation inNorth-west England. Carcinoma ofthelung waspresent in62(13-1%) ofthose without pneumoconiosis andin52 (98%)ofthose withpneumoconiosis. Themean ageatdeath ofthose withpneumoconiosis was 713yearssothattheycannotbe said tohavedied before theageatwhichtheywouldhavedeveloped carcinoma. Thosewith progressive massive fibrosis whose mean ageatdeath was 72yearshadthelowest prevalence of carcinoma ofthelungatallages-8-4%. Forreasonsstated inthetextthis isinevitably abiased sample. Thenumberofthose without pneumoconiosis isprobably lower thanthetruefigure because thedeaths ofminers and ex-miners inwhomthere isno suspicion oflungdisease may nothavebeenreported tothe coronerortothepneumoconiosis medical panel. There appearstobeno positive link between carcinoma ofthelungandpneumoconiosis. Thereisasurprisingly highnumberofsmokers andex-smokers among these miners, andthis appearstohavemore relevance totheprevalence ofcarcinoma ofthelungthandoes pneumoconiosis.