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Clinical study on mesothelioma in Japan: Relevance to occupational asbestos exposure

2010; Wiley; Volume: 53; Issue: 11 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/ajim.20868

1097-0274

Takumi Kishimoto, Kenichi Gemba, Nobukazu Fujimoto, Keisuke Aoe, Katsuya Kato, Yukio Takeshima, Kohki Inai,

Carcinogens and Genotoxicity Assessment

Abstract Background In 2003, the number of deaths due to malignant mesothelioma in Japan was 878; however, only 85 cases of mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure were authorized for compensation. The reasons for this discrepancy require evaluation. Method We examined medical records, X‐rays, and pathology results to evaluate mesothelioma cases in Japan between 2003 and 2005; used a questionnaire to identify occupational and environmental histories, and determined the concentration of asbestos fibers in pathology specimens. Results We identified 442 definite cases of malignant mesothelioma with a median age of 68 years. There were 316 malignant mesothelioma cases with occupational asbestos exposure, 12 cases with neighborhood exposure and 5 cases with likely domestic exposure. Most (78%) of the 87 cases exceeded 1,000 asbestos particles per gram of dry lung tissue. Conclusion We conclude that 79.2% of cases of mesothelioma in Japan in recent years were caused by asbestos exposure. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:1081–1087, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.