Korean J Occup Environ Med.  2004 Dec;16(4):499-507.

A Case of Lung Cancer Caused by Long-Term Asbestos Exposure

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Occupational Medicine, College of Medicine, Dong-A University Hospital, Korea. ydyyoon@hanmail.net
  • 2Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dong-A University Hospital, Korea.
  • 3Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Dong-A University Hospital, Korea.

Abstract


OBJECTIVES
To report a case of lung cancer caused by long-term asbestos exposure in a shipyard.
METHODS
We evaluated chest X-ray, pulmonary function test, and chest CT and analyzed asbestos concentration in the lung tissue and bulk sample from the workplace. We also performed a workplace survey.
RESULTS
The patient had worked at the shipyard for 31 years. The biopsy samples were processed to determine the asbestos content in the lung tissue and bulk sample using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX). The TEM-EDX analysis revealed many asbestos fibers, the majority of which were amosite. In addition, the concentration asbestos fibers in the workplace exceeded the occupational exposure limits of asbestos.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings strongly suggest that this patient's lung cancer was related to the long-term asbestos exposure.

Keyword

Lung cancer; Asbestos; Shipyard

MeSH Terms

Asbestos*
Asbestos, Amosite
Biopsy
Humans
Lung Neoplasms*
Lung*
Occupational Exposure
Respiratory Function Tests
Thorax
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Asbestos
Asbestos, Amosite
Full Text Links
  • KJOEM
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr