title: Assessing specific causation of mesothelioma following exposure to chrysotile asbestos-containing brake dust.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The question of whether chrysotile asbestos-containing brake dust can plausibly serve as a cause of mesothelioma in an exposed individual has become a matter of heated debate in the medical literature despite multiple international, federal, and state governmental  agencies acknowledging a causal association.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We describe and provide an analysis of various industry and academic perspectives contributing to the debate.
  
  
  METHODS
  A framework is presented for evaluating the general and specific causal relationship between brake  dust exposure and mesothelioma utilizing the principles of forensic epidemiology, and by applying the Bradford-Hill criteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that there is a "net" of evidence favoring a causal relationship between brake dust-associated chrysotile  exposure and mesothelioma. The industry-sponsored position that there is insufficient evidence to support a contiguous "chain" of causation is specious from both a methodologic and evidentiary perspective. Finally, we suggest a semiquantitative approach for the evaluation of individual  causation in putative cases of mesothelioma with a history of significant brake dust exposure.
authors: Department of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, OR, USA.
authors: Michael D
authors: MD
authors: Freeman
authors: Sean S
authors: SS
authors: Kohles
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D017632:Asbestos, Serpentine / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D001336:Automobiles; D015984:Causality; D004391:Dust; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012142:Respiratory Tract Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D017632:Asbestos, Serpentine; D004391:Dust