title: Carcinoma of the lung in the absence of asbestosis: The value of lung fiber burden analysis.
abstract: Asbestos is universally recognized as a carcinogen for the lower respiratory tract. However, asbestos is a contributory factor in a small fraction of lung cancers, the vast majority of which are related to cigarette smoking. The challenge for the pathologist is to determine when a lung cancer may be attributed to past asbestos exposure. The finding of asbestosis either clinically or pathologically is a useful marker for such a determination. However, in the absence of asbestosis, it has been suggested that a fiber burden as determined by analytical electron microscopy within the range of asbestosis is sufficient for determination of a causal contribution. We report here an example of a case of lung cancer in which fiber burden studies showed an asbestos concentration within the range of asbestosis as determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pathology , Duke University Medical Center , Durham , NC , USA.
authors.forename: Victor L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Roggli
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pathology , Duke University Medical Center , Durham , NC , USA.
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Sporn
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000209:etiology*; D000368:Aged; D001195:Asbestosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
keywords: Asbestosis; carcinoma; fiber burden analysis