Disease Latency according to Asbestos Exposure Characteristics among Malignant Mesothelioma and Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer Cases in South Korea

Abstract

Korea was one of the major consumers of asbestos in the late 1900s, and asbestos-related disease patients have been reported continuously to date, owing to long disease latency. Several studies have been conducted to predict the future incidence of malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer in Korea, but little is understood about the latency time. Therefore, the aim of this study is to estimate the latency period of malignant mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer in Korea and its determinants. We obtained information from the Environmental Health Centers for Asbestos in Korea on the history of asbestos exposure and demographic characteristics of 1933 patients with malignant mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer. In our study, the latency periods for malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer were 33.7 and 40.1 years, respectively. Regardless of the disease type, those with a history of exposure related to the production of asbestos-containing products or asbestos factories had the shortest latency period. In addition, we observed that those who worked in or lived near asbestos mines tended to have a relatively long disease latency. Smoking was associated with shorter latency, but no linear relationship between the lifetime smoking amount (expressed in pack years) and latent time was observed. In addition, the age of initial exposure showed a negative linear association with the latency period for mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Incidence and Asbestos Exposure of Malignant Mesothelioma in the North Italian Region

“…It should be noted that pleural mesothelioma at a young age has an M/F ratio of 1.7 while in later ages it is equal to 3:1, while for peritoneal tumors the ratio is almost always 1:3. The presence of cases of MM before the age of 45 is surprising given that in recent years more and more evidence documents a latency between exposure and onset of the disease around the age of 40 (34,35). The distribution of cases by province is very interesting in our region, reflecting well the employment of workers in some production sectors and the em-ployment of women in some companies existing in the area.…”

Air pollution and survival in patients with malignant mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer: a follow-up study of 1591 patients in South Korea

“…Some studies, based on records of asbestos usage in South Korea, have estimated the mortality rate due to asbestos-related diseases [ 24 – 26 ], predicting a peak in the 2020s when considering a latency period of 33 years [ 24 ]. However, the duration of emerging cases may extend further given the possibility of a longer latency period for certain diseases [ 27 ], signifying an increased number of patients requiring health management at the national level. While numerous studies have been conducted in South Korea on the epidemiological characteristics of patients and the association with exposure sources [ 28 – 32 ], strategies for improving the conditions of asbestos victims remain unclear.…”

Occupational and Environmental Asbestos Exposure and Survival of Patients with Asbestos-Related Cancer: A Follow-Up Study on Patients with Malignant Mesothelioma and Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer in Korea

“…This finding is similar to that of a previous study investigating the latency period of asbestos-related diseases by occupation type. In a previous study analyzing the latency period of asbestos-related diseases, patients who worked in the production of asbestos-containing products or lived near asbestos factories experienced a shorter latency period before developing mesothelioma and lung cancer compared to those exposed to other sources of asbestos [ 30 ].…”