Thorax, 1979, 34, 826-827
Correspondence standard error). The smoking habits of miners and Carcinoma of the lung in Lancashire coal miners Sir,-My friend Dr Rooke and his colleagues (April non-miners in a neighbouring South Lancashire town 1979, p 229) have been kind enough to refer to a were found to be almost identical (87.9% of miners short paper of mine (Mooney, 1975a) in which I drew were smokers as compared with 85 7% of non-miners). attention to the value of microscopy in the diagnosis The quantity of tobacco consumed in each group was of simple pneumoconiosis. As my belief in the import- reported as "similar" (Higgins et al, 1956). Furtherance of this has increased further during the past four more, Rooke et al in their series found that the years, I would value the opportunity of saying a little smoking habits of miners developing carcinoma of the more about it, and about one or two other points in lung did not differ significantly from those without carcinoma. There does not appear, therefore, to be their interesting and important paper. Recently, I completed a review of my findings on all quite the difference between the smoking habits of necropsies of pneumoconiosis performed since 1957. miners as compared with non-miners, at least in this These were all done on miners who, at the time of area, as Rooke and his colleagues would have us death, were either residing in, or within an approxi- believe. This extremely important problem, therefore, remate five mile radius of St H&1ens-a South Lancashire mining area. From 1957 until 1970 inclusive, the cri- mains unresolved, and I have three suggestions to make. teria I used for diagnosis were very similar to those (1) Microscopy of the lungs should be performed on all used by Rooke et al-that is, naked eye examination miners who had chest symptoms before death, irand palpation. During that time 333 cases were respective of naked eye appearances. This seems clear classified as having pneumoconiosis and, of these, 32 from the evidence already presented. Furthermore, (9 3%) were found also to have lung cancer. This miners who were classified by Rooke (table 1) as incidence compares closely with that reported by having "no pneumoconiosis" on naked eye examRooke et al (9*8%) during 1974-6. Towards the end of ination, paradoxically, had a "significant excess" that period, however, statutory changes affecting (P
Correspondence standard error). The smoking habits of miners and Carcinoma of the lung in Lancashire coal miners Sir,-My friend Dr Rooke and his colleagues (April non-miners in a neighbouring South Lancashire town 1979, p 229) have been kind enough to refer to a were found to be almost identical (87.9% of miners short paper of mine (Mooney, 1975a) in which I drew were smokers as compared with 85 7% of non-miners). attention to the value of microscopy in the diagnosis The quantity of tobacco consumed in each group was of simple pneumoconiosis. As my belief in the import- reported as "similar" (Higgins et al, 1956). Furtherance of this has increased further during the past four more, Rooke et al in their series found that the years, I would value the opportunity of saying a little smoking habits of miners developing carcinoma of the more about it, and about one or two other points in lung did not differ significantly from those without carcinoma. There does not appear, therefore, to be their interesting and important paper. Recently, I completed a review of my findings on all quite the difference between the smoking habits of necropsies of pneumoconiosis performed since 1957. miners as compared with non-miners, at least in this These were all done on miners who, at the time of area, as Rooke and his colleagues would have us death, were either residing in, or within an approxi- believe. This extremely important problem, therefore, remate five mile radius of St H&1ens-a South Lancashire mining area. From 1957 until 1970 inclusive, the cri- mains unresolved, and I have three suggestions to make. teria I used for diagnosis were very similar to those (1) Microscopy of the lungs should be performed on all used by Rooke et al-that is, naked eye examination miners who had chest symptoms before death, irand palpation. During that time 333 cases were respective of naked eye appearances. This seems clear classified as having pneumoconiosis and, of these, 32 from the evidence already presented. Furthermore, (9 3%) were found also to have lung cancer. This miners who were classified by Rooke (table 1) as incidence compares closely with that reported by having "no pneumoconiosis" on naked eye examRooke et al (9*8%) during 1974-6. Towards the end of ination, paradoxically, had a "significant excess" that period, however, statutory changes affecting (P
