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Frontiers in Oncology 2023Asbestos exposure is closely related to the occurrence and development of various malignancies. This prospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the incidence rate and...
BACKGROUND
Asbestos exposure is closely related to the occurrence and development of various malignancies. This prospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the incidence rate and potential risk factors in a cohort of asbestosis patients in China.
METHODS
The incidence of malignancies was determined in patients who had been exposed to chrysotile asbestos and diagnosed with asbestosis sequentially at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2019. Cox regression analyses were used to analyze the correlations between clinical variables and asbestosis combined with malignancies.
RESULTS
A total of 618 patients with asbestosis were identified, of whom 544 were eligible for analysis. Among them, 89 (16.36%) were diagnosed with various malignancies. The standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of patients with asbestosis combined with malignancies were 16.61, 175, 5.23, and 8.77 for lung cancer, mesothelioma, breast cancer, and endometrial carcinoma, respectively. The risks of all malignancies and lung cancer increased with initial exposure before 17 years old, longer asbestos exposure, and smoking.
CONCLUSIONS
The SIRs of patients with asbestosis-related malignancies were significantly increased in lung cancer, mesothelioma, breast cancer, and endometrial carcinoma in a hospital-based Chinese cohort. Smoking and the duration of asbestos exposure increased the risk of lung cancer.
PubMed: 37483507
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1172496 -
American Journal of Industrial Medicine Oct 2023Pneumoconiosis is a group of occupational lung diseases caused by dust and fiber exposure. This study analyzes Medicare claims to estimate the burden of pneumoconiosis...
BACKGROUND
Pneumoconiosis is a group of occupational lung diseases caused by dust and fiber exposure. This study analyzes Medicare claims to estimate the burden of pneumoconiosis among fee-for-service (FFS; Medicare Parts A and B) Medicare beneficiaries during 1999-2019 in the United States.
METHODS
Claim and enrollment information from 81 million continuously enrolled FFS Medicare beneficiaries were analyzed. Beneficiaries with any pneumoconiosis and cause-specific pneumoconiosis (e.g., asbestosis, silicosis) were identified using three case definitions (broad, intermediate, and narrow) with varying diagnostic criteria based on claim International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification (ICD-CM) diagnosis codes and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes. Results are presented as ranges of values for the three case definitions.
RESULTS
The 21-year prevalence range for any pneumoconiosis was 345,383-677,361 (412-833 per 100,000 beneficiaries) using the three case definitions. The highest prevalence was among those ≥75 years of age, males, Whites, and North American Natives. Most claims (70.0%-72.5%) included an ICD-CM diagnosis code for asbestosis. The broad pneumoconiosis prevalence rate increased significantly (p < 0.001) during 2002-2009 by 3%-10% annually and declined significantly by 3%-5% annually starting in 2009. The average annual broad incidence rate declined significantly by 7% annually during 2009-2019.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite the decline in rate for any pneumoconiosis among Medicare beneficiaries, which is primarily attributed to a decline in asbestosis, pneumoconiosis is prevalent among FFS Medicare beneficiaries.
Topics: Male; Humans; Aged; United States; Incidence; Asbestosis; Medicare; Prevalence; Pneumoconiosis
PubMed: 37482966
DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23519 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2023Respiratory disorders, being one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, account for constant evolution in management technologies, resulting in the incorporation... (Review)
Review
Respiratory disorders, being one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, account for constant evolution in management technologies, resulting in the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the recording and analysis of lung sounds to aid diagnosis in clinical pulmonology practice. Although lung sound auscultation is a common clinical practice, its use in diagnosis is limited due to its high variability and subjectivity. We review the origin of lung sounds, various auscultation and processing methods over the years and their clinical applications to understand the potential for a lung sound auscultation and analysis device. Respiratory sounds result from the intra-pulmonary collision of molecules contained in the air, leading to turbulent flow and subsequent sound production. These sounds have been recorded via an electronic stethoscope and analyzed using back-propagation neural networks, wavelet transform models, Gaussian mixture models and recently with machine learning and deep learning models with possible use in asthma, COVID-19, asbestosis and interstitial lung disease. The purpose of this review was to summarize lung sound physiology, recording technologies and diagnostics methods using AI for digital pulmonology practice. Future research and development in recording and analyzing respiratory sounds in real time could revolutionize clinical practice for both the patients and the healthcare personnel.
Topics: Humans; Artificial Intelligence; Respiratory Sounds; Microwaves; Pulmonary Medicine; COVID-19; Auscultation; Acoustics; Stethoscopes
PubMed: 37420680
DOI: 10.3390/s23125514 -
Zhonghua Lao Dong Wei Sheng Zhi Ye Bing... Jun 2023To analyze the disease burden of pneumoconiosis globally and in China from 1990 to 2019 using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 data, and to provide a theoretical...
To analyze the disease burden of pneumoconiosis globally and in China from 1990 to 2019 using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 data, and to provide a theoretical basis for prevention and control of pneumoconiosis. In September 2022, the data of incidence, prevalence, morality and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) of pneumoconiosis and its subtypes globally and in China from 1990 to 2019 were collected from GBD 2019, including absolute number and age-standardized rate (ASR). Joinpoint linear regression model was used to calculate average annual percent change (AAPC) and analyze the change trends of incidence, prevalence, mortality and DALY of pneumoconiosis and its subtypes. From 1990 to 2019, the incident cases, prevalent cases and DALY value of pneumoconiosis showed upward trends, while the number of death cases showed downward trends. And the ASR of incidence (ASIR), the ASR of prevalence (ASPR), the ASR of mortality (ASMR) and the ASR of DALY (ASDR) showed downward trends globally and in China. China accounted for a large proportion of the global disease burden of penumoconiosis, accounting for more than 67% of the incident cases, more than 80% of the prevalent cases, more than 43% of the deaths cases and more than 60% of the absolute number of DALY in the world every year. Male were the main population of pneumoconiosis disease burden globally and in China, and the age of onset was earlier than that of female. The peak age periods of incidence, prevalence, mortality and DALY of pneumoconiosis globally and in China from 1990 to 2019 have increased. Silicosis was still the type with the highest disease burden of pneumoconiosis globally and in China. The disease burden of coal workers' pneumoconiosis had an overall improvement trend, but asbestosis had an increasing disease burden worldwide. The disease burden of pneumoconiosis is heavy globally and in China, which is necessary to strengthen the supervision and prevention measures according to gender, age and etiological types.
Topics: Male; Humans; Female; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Pneumoconiosis; Cost of Illness; Asbestosis; China; Anthracosis; Incidence
PubMed: 37400401
DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn121094-20221019-00478 -
Heliyon May 2023Asbestos, a group of minerals with unique physical and chemical properties, has been widely used in various industries. However, extensive exposure to asbestos fibers,... (Review)
Review
Asbestos, a group of minerals with unique physical and chemical properties, has been widely used in various industries. However, extensive exposure to asbestos fibers, present in the environment, has been linked to several types of cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Despite worldwide regulations prohibiting or regulating the use of this material, the uncertainty surrounding the concentrations of asbestos fibers in the environment (air and water) from different sources of exposure persists. The objective of this review paper is to identify the levels of asbestos in air and water reported in the literature based on the source of exposure in diverse contexts to assess conformity with the reference limits for this mineral. Initially, the review delineates various forms of exposure and the origin of fiber generation in the environment, whether direct or indirect. Regarding the presence of asbestos in the environment, high concentrations were identified in natural water bodies known as Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA), and there is a risk in the process of distributing drinking water due to the presence of asbestos-cement pipes. In the air, studies to determine asbestos concentrations vary based on the sources of exposure in each region or city studied. The presence of asbestos mines around the city and the intensity of vehicular traffic are some of the most relevant sources found to be related to high concentrations of asbestos fibers in the air. The present review paper features a critical review section in each chapter to highlight critical points found in the literature and suggest new methodologies/ideas to standardize future research. It emphasizes the necessity to standardize methods for measuring asbestos concentrations in air and water arising from diverse sources of exposure to enable comparisons between different regions and countries.
PubMed: 37305461
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15730 -
American Journal of Industrial Medicine Aug 2023Silicosis is a fibrotic lung disease caused by exposure to respirable crystalline silica. Historically, silicosis was common among miners and other professions in the...
BACKGROUND
Silicosis is a fibrotic lung disease caused by exposure to respirable crystalline silica. Historically, silicosis was common among miners and other professions in the 20th century, and in recent decades has re-emerged in coal mining and appeared in new workplaces, including the manufacture of distressed jeans and artificial stone countertops.
METHODS
Physician billing data for the province of Ontario between 1992 and 2019 were analyzed across six time-periods (1993-1995, 1996-2000, 2001-2005, 2006-2010, 2011-2015, and 2016-2019). The case definition was two or more billing records within 24 months with a silicosis diagnosis code (ICD-9 502, ICD-10 J62). Cases from 1993 to 1995 were excluded as prevalent cases. Crude incidence rates per 100,000 persons were calculated by time-period, age, sex, and region. Analyses were repeated in parallel for pulmonary fibrosis (PF) (ICD-9 515, ICD-10 J84) and asbestosis (ICD-9 501; ICD-10 J61).
RESULTS
From 1996 to 2019, 444 cases of silicosis, 2719 cases of asbestosis and 59,228 cases of PF were identified. Silicosis rates decreased from 0.42 cases per 100,000 in 1996-2000 to 0.06 per 100,000 people in 2016-2019. A similar trend was observed for asbestosis (1.66 to 0.51 per 100,000 persons) but the incidence rate of PF increased from 11.6 to 33.9 per 100,000 persons. Incidence rates for all outcomes were higher among men and older adults.
CONCLUSIONS
A decreasing incidence of silicosis was observed in this analysis. However, the incidence of PF increased, consistent with findings from other jurisdictions. While cases of silicosis have been recorded among artificial stone workers in Ontario these cases do not seem to have impacted the population rates thus far. Ongoing, periodic surveillance of occupational diseases is helpful for tracking population-level trends over time.
Topics: Male; Humans; Aged; Asbestosis; Pulmonary Fibrosis; Ontario; Silicosis; Silicon Dioxide; Occupational Exposure
PubMed: 37302125
DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23504 -
Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology May 2023In both developing and developed nations, pulmonary diseases are the major cause of mortality and disability. There has been a worldwide increase in the incidence of...
In both developing and developed nations, pulmonary diseases are the major cause of mortality and disability. There has been a worldwide increase in the incidence of both acute and chronic respiratory illnesses, which poses a serious problem for the healthcare system. Lung cancer seems to be just one form of a parenchymal lung disorder, but there are many others, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, occupational lung diseases (asbestosis, pneumoconiosis), etc. Notably, chronic respiratory disorders cannot be cured, and acute abnormalities are notoriously difficult to treat. As a result, it is possible that therapeutic objectives could be achieved using nanotechnology in the form of either improved pharmacological efficacy or reduced toxicity. In addition, the incorporation of various nanostructures permits the enhancement of medication bioavailability, transport, and administration. Medicines and diagnostics based on nanotechnology have progressed significantly toward clinical application for the treatment of lung cancers. In recent years, scientists have shifted their focus towards exploring the potential of nanostructures in the treatment of other relevant respiratory illnesses. Micelles and polymeric nanoparticles are the two most studied nanostructures in a wide range of diseases. This study concludes with a summary of recent and pertinent research in drug delivery systems for the treatment of various pulmonary disorders, as well as trends, limitations, significance, and treatment and diagnostics employing nanotechnology, as well as future studies in this domain.
PubMed: 37231722
DOI: 10.2174/2211738511666230525151106 -
Cureus Apr 2023Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma (PPC) is a subtype of non-small cell lung cancer that is extremely rare and carries a poor prognosis due to its inadequate response to...
Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma (PPC) is a subtype of non-small cell lung cancer that is extremely rare and carries a poor prognosis due to its inadequate response to treatment. Patients that present with PPC often exhibit similar symptoms of other malignancies of the lung, making it hard for clinicians to distinguish between each type. However, cytology and gene mutation testing are two approaches that can aid physicians in an accurate and definitive diagnosis. We present a case of an 88-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma after experiencing recurrent sanguineous pleural effusions. The patient had no smoking history but did have a history of asbestos exposure and pulmonary fibrosis. The patient underwent thoracotomy with pleurodesis and analysis of the surgical pleural biopsy specimen stained positive for markers indicative of PPC. The pathology report was also consistent with the associated cell morphology. Lung cancer is the leading cause of mortality due to cancer in the United States, and exposure to certain substances contributes to the development of these poorly treatable lung malignancies. Smoking and asbestos exposure are well known to act synergistically with each other as risk factors in developing these lung malignancies. In addition to clinical suspicion, screening for these risk factors with laboratory values and imaging is important to diagnose these rare cases of lung malignancies.
PubMed: 37213984
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.37860 -
European Journal of Medical Research May 2023Although asbestos use is banned in many countries, long latency of asbestos-related diseases like pleural plaques or asbestosis mean it is still a public health issue....
BACKGROUND
Although asbestos use is banned in many countries, long latency of asbestos-related diseases like pleural plaques or asbestosis mean it is still a public health issue. People suffering from these diseases have a higher risk of developing mesothelioma or lung cancer, which can progress quickly and aggressively. MicroRNAs were suggested as potential biomarkers in several diseases. However, in asbestosis, blood microRNAs are less explored. Since miR-32-5p, miR-143-3p, miR-145-5p, miR-146b-5p, miR-204-5p and miR-451a are involved in fibrotic processes and in cancer, expression of these microRNAs was analyzed in leukocytes and serum of asbestosis patients.
METHODS
MicroRNA expression was analyzed in leukocytes and serum of 36 patients (26 affected by pleural plaques and 10 by asbestosis) and 15 healthy controls by real-time RT-PCR. Additionally, data analyses were performed regarding disease severity based on ILO classification.
RESULTS
MicroRNA miR-146b-5p was significantly down-regulated in leukocytes of patients suffering from pleural plaques with a large effect indicated by η = 0.150 and Cohen's f = 0.42, a value of difference of 0.725 and a 95% confidence interval of 0.070-1.381. In patients suffering from asbestosis miR-146b-5p was not significantly regulated. However, data analyses considering disease severity only, revealed that miR-146b-5p was significantly down-regulated in leukocytes of mildly diseased patients compared to controls with a large effect indicated by η = 0.178 and Cohen's f = 0.465, a value of difference of 0.848 and a 95% confidence interval of 0.097-1.599. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and an area under the ROC curve value of 0.757 for miR-146b-5p indicated acceptable discrimination ability between patients suffering from pleural plaques and healthy controls. Less microRNAs were detectable in serum than in leukocytes, showing no significant expression differences in all participants of this study. Moreover, miR-145-5p was regulated significantly differently in leukocytes and serum. An R value of 0.004 for miR-145-5p indicated no correlation in microRNA expression between leukocytes and serum.
CONCLUSION
Leukocytes seem more suitable than serum for microRNA analyses regarding disease and potentially cancer risk assessment of patients suffering from asbestos-related pleural plaques or asbestosis. Long-term studies may reveal whether down-regulation of miR-146b-5p in leukocytes might be an early indicator for an increased cancer risk.
Topics: Humans; MicroRNAs; Asbestosis; Biomarkers; Asbestos; Leukocytes
PubMed: 37189132
DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01129-z