Publications - G Berry

Health effects of asbestos - epidemiology

Most of the papers in this section relate to cohort studies (Barking, Ferodo, gas-mask workers, Wittenoom) that have provided information on the association between exposure to the different types of asbestos and lung cancer and mesothelioma incidence.

Paper [22] was the first in a fruitful partnership with the late Dr Molly Newhouse. It looked at the mortality of the female workers at the Barking asbestos factory near London in England. Also in 1972 the joint effect of asbestos and smoking on lung cancer was investigated and a synergistic effect confirmed. In the next paper [37] from this factory the future incidence of mesotheliomas were predicted from the 45 mesotheliomas that had occurred up to 1972 using the power relationship between mesothelioma incidence and time since exposure. This paper was probably the first instance in which the power relationship, which is widely accepted today, was used for mesothelioma in an epidemiological study. It was also shown that the mesothelioma rate increased with both duration and severity of exposure to asbestos. Whilst this may seem trite today, at the time it was very important as there was a widespread view that mesothelioma incidence was not dose-related. This paper was followed by [46] in which the mortality experience of the whole group at the Barking factory was updated, and in 1985 a further update [72] of the mortality at the Barking factory was undertaken, confirming the dose-response relationship for mesothelioma and comparing the number of mesotheliomas that had occurred in the 8 years since the predictions made in [37]. The predictions had slightly overestimated the observed number. A companion paper [73] looked at the combined effect of asbestos and smoking, showing that for mesothelioma smoking is not a risk factor, and looking further at the synergistic effect on lung cancer. The final paper from the Barking factory was published in 2000 [150] in collaboration with Drs Christopher Wagner and Molly Newhouse. Sadly both died shortly before the paper was published.

[56] was in collaboration with Dr Stephen Jones on the well-known group of mesotheliomas that occurred in women who had worked at the Boots factory in Nottingham during World War 2 when the factory was used for the production of gas masks which included a crocidolite filter. It was shown that the mesothelioma incidence was consistent with a linear relationship with duration of work at the factory. The follow-up of this group was updated to 2002 in [182]. By then there had been 65 mesotheliomas but there had been no mesotheliomas after 1994. Lung burden fibre analysis results were reported in 2009 [192].

An important study was carried out, again in collaboration with Dr Newhouse, on the mortality of workers at the Ferodo friction materials plant in the North of England [64, 66]. Chrysotile asbestos was used in this factory apart from two well-defined periods in which crocidolite was used in one of the workshops. Out of 10 mesotheliomas, 9 had been exposed to crocidolite compared with only 10 of 40 matched controls. In 1994 a review paper was written on mortality arising from exposure to chrysotile in the friction-products industry [119].

Publications arising out of the Australian Mesothelioma Surveillance Scheme, set up by the late Professor David Ferguson, are [89, 105, 110, 121].

In 1991 [111] the mortality experience of the Wittenoom group of workers was explored with the aim of predicting the number of future cases to 2020. As well as applying the power model for mesothelioma incidence, the model was extended to allow for a slow rate of clearance of crocidolite from the lungs (elimination model). A range of predictions was presented representing the uncertainty of knowing which model is the correct one to use. The consequences of elimination were explored further in [118, 122]. There is good evidence that elimination of crocidolite fibre does take place at a slow rate, in the range of 10 to 15% a year, and this evidence has been strengthened by the finding [M49, 173] that the number of mesotheliomas occurring in former miners and millers at the Wittenoom crocidolite asbestos mines and mills during 1987 to 2000 was similar to that predicted in [111] based on observed numbers up to 1986 when an elimination model was used. Failure to allow for elimination gave a much higher prediction than was observed. (for more details see the separate section).

Other papers considering prediction of mesotheliomas are [185, 186, 187, 189 and 193].

The mortality experience of those certified with asbestosis in the UK was reported [55, 59].

Two chapters in books [C2, C3] reviewed the epidemiology of mesotheliomas, particularly the differences between fibre types, and general reviews were [19, 49, C10].

19. WAGNER, J.C., GILSON, J.C., BERRY, G. & TIMBRELL, V. (1971). Epidemiology of asbestos cancers. Br. med. Bull., 27, 71-6.

22. NEWHOUSE, M.L., BERRY. G., WAGNER, J.C. & TUROK, M.E. (1972). A study of the mortality of female asbestos workers. Br. J. ind. Med., 29, 134-41. PDF

23. BERRY, G., NEWHOUSE, M.L. & TUROK, M. (1972). Combined effect of asbestos exposure and smoking on mortality from lung cancer in factory workers. Lancet, 300, 476-9.

37. NEWHOUSE, M.L. & BERRY, G. (1976). Predictions of mortality from mesothelial tumours in asbestos factory workers. Br. J. ind. Med., 33, 147-51. PDF

44. BERRY, G., GILSON, J.C., HOLMES, S., LEWINSOHN, H.C. & ROACH, S.A. (1979). Asbestosis: a study of dose response relationships in an asbestos textile factory. Br. J. ind. Med., 36, 98-112. PDF

46. NEWHOUSE, M.L. & BERRY, G. (1979). Patterns of mortality in asbestos factory workers in London. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci., 330, 53-60.

47. BERRY, G. & LEWINSOHN, H.C. (1979). Dose response relationships for asbestos related disease: implications for hygiene standards: Part I morbidity. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci., 330, 185-94.

49. WAGNER, J.C., BERRY, G. & POOLEY, F.D. (1980). Carcinogenesis and mineral fibres. Br. med. Bull., 36, 53-6.

55. BERRY, G. (1980). The prognosis following certification with asbestosis in the United Kingdom. In: Biological Effects of Mineral Fibres, ed. J.C. Wagner, 603-8. IARC Scientific Publications No. 30, Lyon.

56. JONES, J.S.P., SMITH, P.G., POOLEY, F.D., BERRY, G., SAWLE, G.W., WIGNALL, B.K., MADELEY, R.J. & AGGARWAL, A. (1980). The consequences of exposure to asbestos dust in a wartime gas mask factory. In: Biological Effects of Mineral Fibres, ed. J.C. Wagner, 637-53. IARC Scientific Publications No. 30, Lyon.

59. BERRY, G. (1981). The mortality of workers certified by Pneumoconiosis Medical Panels as having asbestosis. Br. J. ind. Med., 38, 130-7. PDF

64. NEWHOUSE, M.L., BERRY, G. & SKIDMORE, J.W. (1982). A mortality study of workers manufacturing friction materials with chrysotile asbestos. Ann. occup. Hyg., 26, 899-909.

66. BERRY, G. & NEWHOUSE, M.L. (1983). Mortality of workers manufacturing friction materials using asbestos. Br. J. ind. Med., 40, 1-7. PDF

72. NEWHOUSE, M.L., BERRY, G. & WAGNER, J.C. (1985). Mortality of factory workers in east London 1933 1980. Br. J. ind. Med., 42, 4-11. PDF

73. BERRY, G., NEWHOUSE, M.L. & ANTONIS, P. (1985). Combined effect of asbestos and smoking on mortality from lung cancer and mesothelioma in factory workers. Br. J. ind. Med., 42, 12-18. PDF

89. FERGUSON, D., BERRY, G., JELIHOVSKY, T., ANDREAS, S., ROGERS, A., FUNG, S.C., GRIMWOOD, A. & THOMPSON, R. (1987). The Australian mesothelioma surveillance program, 1979 1985. Med. J. Aust., 147, 166-72

110. LEIGH, J., CORVALÁN, C.F., GRIMWOOD, A., BERRY, G., FERGUSON, D.A. & THOMPSON, R. (1991). The incidence of malignant mesothelioma in Australia 1982 - 1988. Am. J. Ind. Med., 20, 643-655.

111. BERRY, G. (1991). Prediction of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis in former Wittenoom asbestos workers. Brit. J. ind. Med., 48, 793-802. PDF

119. BERRY G. (1994). Mortality and cancer incidence of workers exposed to chrysotile asbestos in the friction-products industry. Ann. Occup. Hyg., 38, 539-546.

150. BERRY, G., NEWHOUSE, M. L. & WAGNER, J. C. (2000). Mortality from all cancers of asbestos factory workers in east London 1933-80. Occup. Environ. Med., 57, 782-785. PDF

173. BERRY, G., de KLERK, N.H., REID, A., AMBROSINI, G.L., FRITSCHI, L., OLSEN, N.J., MERLER, E., & MUSK, A.W. (2004). Malignant pleural and peritoneal mesotheliomas in former miners and millers of crocidolite at Wittenoom, Western Australia. Occup. Environ. Med. 61, e14, 1-3. PDF

174. BERRY, G. & LIDDELL, F.D.K. (2004). The interaction of asbestos and smoking in lung cancer - a modified measure of effect. Ann. Occup. Hyg. 48, 459-462. Full text

178. REID, A., de KLERK, N., AMBROSINI, G.L., OLSEN, N., PANG, S.C., BERRY, G. & MUSK, A.W. (2005). The effect of asbestosis on lung cancer risk beyond the dose related effect of asbestos alone. Occup. Environ. Med. 62, 885-889. Abstract PDF

180. REID, A., de KLERK, N., AMBROSINI, G.L., BERRY, G. & MUSK, A.W. (2006). The risk of lung cancer with increasing time since ceasing exposure to asbestos and quitting smoking. Occup. Environ. Med. 63, 509-512. Abstract PDF

182. McDONALD, J.C., HARRIS, J.M. & BERRY, G. (2006). Sixty years on: the price of assembling military gas masks in 1940. Occup. Environ. Med. 63, 852-855. Abstract PDF

183. REID, A., BERRY, G., de KLERK, N., HANSEN, J., HEYWORTH, J., AMBROSINI, G., FRITSCHI , L., OLSEN, N., MERLER, E. & MUSK, A.W. (2007). Age and sex differences in malignant mesothelioma after residential exposure to blue asbestos (crocidolite). Chest 131, 376-382. Abstract PDF

185. CLEMENTS, M., BERRY, G., SHI, J., WARE, S., YATES, D. & JOHNSON, A. (2007). Projected mesothelioma incidence in men in New South Wales. Occup. Environ. Med. 64, 747-752. Abstract

186. CLEMENTS, M., BERRY, G. & SHI, J. (2007). Actuarial projections for mesothelioma: an epidemiological perspective. Institute of Actuaries of Australia XIth Accident Compensation Seminar 1-4 April 2007, Melbourne, 1-17. Institute of Actuaries of Australia, Sydney.

187. BERRY, G. & CLEMENTS, M. (2007). Mesotheliomas and asbestos exposure - historical aspects and future projections. Proceedings of 25th Annual Conference of the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists 2007, ed G Benke, D Collins, 130-137. Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists Inc, Tullamarine, Victoria (ISBN-10 0-9803010-9-2).

188. MUSK, A.W., de KLERK, N., REID, A., AMBROSINI, G.L., FRITSCHI, L., OLSEN, N., MERLER, E., HOBBS, M. & BERRY,G. (2008). Mortality of former crocidolite (blue asbestos) miners and millers at Wittenoom. Occup. Environ. Med. 65, 541-543 Abstract

189. GASPARRINI, A., PIZZO, A. M., GORINI, G., COSTANTINI, A. S., SILVESTRI, S., CIAPINI, C., INNOCENTI, A. & BERRY, G. (2008). Prediction of mesothelioma and lung cancer in a cohort of asbestos exposed workers. Europ. J. Epidemiol. 23, 541-546. Abstract

190. BERRY, G. & GIBBS, G.W. (2008). An overview of the risk of lung cancer in relation to exposure to asbestos and of taconite miners. Reg. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 52, S218-S222. Abstract

191. GIBBS, G.W. & BERRY, G. (2008). Mesothelioma and asbestos. Reg. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 52, S223-S231. Abstract

192. BERRY, G., POOLEY, F., GIBBS, A., HARRIS, J.M. & McDONALD, J.C. (2009). Lung fibre burden in the Nottingham gas mask cohort. Inhal. Toxicol. 21, 168-172. Abstract

193. REID, A., BERRY, G., HEYWORTH, J., DE KLERK, N.H. & MUSK, A.W. (2009). Predicted mortality from malignant mesothelioma among women exposed to blue asbestos at Wittenoom, Western Australia. Occup. Environ. Med. 66, 169-174. Abstract

194. ALFONSO, H.S., REID, A., de KLERK, N.H., OLSEN, N., MINA, R., AMBROSINI, G.L., BEILBY, J., BERRY, G. & MUSK, A.W. (2010). Retinol supplementation and mesothelioma incidence in workers earlier exposed to blue asbestos (Crocidolite) at Wittenoom, Western Australia. Eur. J. Cancer Prev. 19, 355-359.

195. BERRY, G., REID, A., ABOAGYE-SARFO, P., DE KLERK, N.H., OLSEN, N.J., MERLER, E., FRANKLIN, P. & MUSK, A.W. (2012). Malignant mesotheliomas in former miners and millers of crocidolite at Wittenoom (Western Australia) after more than 50 years follow-up. Br. J. Cancer 106, 1016-1020. Abstract

C2 BERRY, G. (1986). Chrysotile and mesothelioma. In: Accomplishments in Oncology, Vol 1 No 2, The Biological Effects of Chrysotile, ed. J.C. Wagner, 123 32. General Motors Cancer Research Foundation. Lippincott, Philadelphia.

C3 BERRY, G. (1988). Epidemiology of mesothelioma. In: Preventing Cancer, ed. M. Tattersall, 35-44. Australian Professional Publications, Sydney.

C10. GIBBS, G.W. & BERRY, G. (2008). Epidemiology and risk assessment. In Asbestos and its Diseases, eds JE Craighead & AR Gibbs, 94-119. Oxford University Press, Oxford & New York.

M5. NEWHOUSE, M.L. & BERRY, G. (1973). Asbestos and laryngeal carcinoma (letter). Lancet, 2, 615.

M49. BERRY, G., MUSK, A.W., de KLERK, N.H., JOHNSON, A. & YATES, D.H. (2003). Predictions of mortality from mesothelioma (letter). Occup. Environ. Med. 60, 458.

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