title: Lung cancer risk in past asbestos workers a few decades after exposure cessation and prospects for screening.
abstract: To ascertain whether the current risk of lung cancer in former asbestos workers was higher than in the general population, 1,557 past asbestos workers were recruited during statutory health examinations (from 2000 onward) and followed up for mortality. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated. Poisson regression was used to adjust the rate ratios (RRs) for confounders. SMR was about 1.00 in workers with or without pleural plaques and 4.62 (95% confidence interval: 0.61-18.1) in those with asbestosis. Adjusted RRs for lung cancer were 4.70 (0.99-22.5) for asbestosis, 4.35 (0.97-19.5) for former smokers, 6.82 (1.38-34.4) for current smokers. Currently, lung cancer mortality in past asbestos workers is similar to the general population, probably because workers more exposed /more susceptible could have died from lung cancer before the beginning of follow-up.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Sciences , University of Padua , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mastrangelo
authors.affiliation: b Department of Health and Safety at Work (SPISAL) , Local Health Authority No. 20, Veneto Region, Verona , Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marangi
authors.affiliation: c Department of Health and Safety at Work (SPISAL) , Local Health Authority No. 12, Veneto Region, Mestre ( VE ), Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Nicoletta
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Ballarin
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Sciences , University of Padua , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fadda
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Sciences , University of Padua , Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scoizzato
authors.affiliation: d Regional Epidemiology Department , Veneto Region, Padua , Italy.
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Fedeli
authors.affiliation: b Department of Health and Safety at Work (SPISAL) , Local Health Authority No. 20, Veneto Region, Verona , Italy.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marchiori
authors.affiliation: e Department of Health and Safety at Work (SPISAL) , Local Health Authority No.13, Veneto Region, Dolo ( VE ), Italy.
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valentini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001194:Asbestos / Q000506:poisoning*; D001195:Asbestosis / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001194:Asbestos
keywords: Asbestos workers; health surveillance; lung cancer mortality; lung cancer screening