The Risks of Occupations in the Wool Industry: Mesothelioma

Beside confirming the importance of an accurate occupational anamnesis to recognize work-induced cancers, the case draws the attention on the risk of mesothelioma in the wool industry, an occupational setting that is not usually considered as a potential source of exposure to asbestos fibres.

Such pollution might explain the increased mortality due to pleural mesothelioma in the Biella area (characterized by a prosperous textile industry), reported in previous epidemiological studies.