What's new in tumours of the nasal cavity? Adenocarcinomas arising after exposure to wood dust

Since the first observations have been published by Macbeth in England 1965 adenocarcinomas of the nose arising after exposure to wood dust have been considered as occupational diseases in a number of countries. As many questions concerning epidemiology, clinical course and pathology are still open, the Industrial Insurance Institute for the Wood Working Industry (Holz-Berufsgenossenschaft, Munich) has tried to collect all cases of nasal adenocarcinomas in the Federal Republic of Germany by requesting the clinical data from all Oto-Rhino-Laryngologic Clinics in West Germany and slides from the corresponding Institutes of Pathology. An extensive investigation concerning occupational exposure and other epidemiological aspects to wood dust was performed. The authors had the opportunity to review all clinical data and most of the histological material. Additionally some immunohistochemical and electron microscopical investigations were performed at the University Ear Nose Throat Clinic in Marburg. Finally we investigated cases of which we had the complete occupational, epidemiologic, clinical and histological data (further 34 cases with incomplete data are not discussed in this study).