title: The risk of lung cancer after cessation of asbestos exposure in construction workers using pleural malignant mesothelioma as a marker of exposure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the risk of lung cancer in heavily asbestos-exposed workers after the exposure to asbestos has ended.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lung cancer was studied in a cohort of 189,896 Swedish construction workers through a linkage with the Swedish Cancer Registry. Asbestos exposure was estimated by the incidence of malignant mesothelioma in the occupational group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were in total 2835 cases of lung cancer. Workers with heavy exposure to asbestos had an increased risk of lung cancer (relative risks = 1.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.25 to 2.41) before exposure ended and a similar risk to those with low exposure 20 years after the exposure had ceased (relative risks = 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.77 to 1.15).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Workers with heavy exposure to asbestos have a similar risk of lung cancer as persons with low or no exposure 20 years after the exposure has ended.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine (Drs Järvholm and Åström), Umeå University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Järvholm
authors.forename: Evelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001194:Asbestos / Q000633:toxicity*; D015415:Biomarkers; D060389:Construction Industry; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001194:Asbestos