Mesotheliomas among Italians, returned to the home country, who worked when migrant at a cement-asbestos factory in Switzerland

Summary.

¶Objectives: To report the occurrence of mesotheliomas in Italy among subjects who worked, when migrant, at a cement-asbestos factory in Niederurnen, Switzerland, and had resettled to the home country.¶Methods: Information about the disease and on the working history of subjects was collected by regional mesothelioma registries. Only cases diagnosed by means of histo-pathological examinations have been considered here.¶Results: 15 mesotheliomas (13 pleural, 2 perithoneal; 12 among males, 3 among females) have been identified among Italians, who had worked at the factory. None of them had other occupational exposure to asbestos. The majority was living in the Veneto Region (North East of Italy), and in Puglia (Southern Italy).¶Conclusions: Exposure to asbestos at this factory has already caused an important number of occupational cancers among the employees, a large fraction being constituted of migrants. In order to avoid under-estimation of risks and to allow compensation, diseases which occur among foreign workers returned to their home country should be evaluated. Migration for work is at the genesis of asbestos-related mesotheliomas now occurring in Italy.