A very interesting question about asbestos-related malignancies was raised today at PACE session. The question was: what is more common asbestos-associated tumor, mesothelioma or bronchogenic carcinoma.
The fact that asbestos exposure tremendously increases risk of mesothelioma is well known and I am not going to discuss it here. But relationship between asbestosis and lung cancer is still obscure, because tobacco smoking masks the influence of asbestos fibers on neoplastic transformation within the bronchial linings. The freshest text in my specialty, Rubin’s Pathology (5th Ed, 2008) states “an association between cancer of the lungs and asbestos exposure is clearly established in smokers. A slight increase in the prevalence of lung cancer has been reported in nonsmokers exposed to asbestos, but small amount of cases renders an association questionable” (P.168).
We can find a reasonable amount of publication browsing the Web. A reputed site, which I trust, “Health and Safety Executive” from the UK contains statistics data about mortality from asbestos-related malignancies; the data indicate that less amount of people die of asbestos-related lung cancer than of mesothelioma (at least not more) http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/asbfaq.htm#mesothelioma..
I hope I answered the question.
Dr. Y.
3 comments:
denied! I thought for sure Dr. Ayra told us not to be tricked by the mesothelioma answer if lung cancer was an option..oh well.
The choice is yours: to deny or to accept, but I expect from medical students to be more open-minded.
Sincerely,
Dr. Y.
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