Mesothelioma in relation to asbestos exposure in laboratory work

Penpatra Sripaiboonkij, Maritta S. Jaakkola

Center for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Faculty of Public Health, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand;.

DOI: 10.4236/health.2013.56129                

Abstract

Introduction: Mesothelioma is a malignant conditioncaused by exposure to asbestos that has typically a long latency period. The disease is usually found in the later stages when the prognosis is poor despite treatments. Objective: To report a mesothelioma found in a laboratory. Method: We reported here a case of a 60 year-old-man who was exposed to asbestos fibres-first when he studied in a laboratory at high school and then he had exposure over the following years until graduating with a master’s degree, but he did not have exposure after it. He was a smoker as a teenager and he gave up after 23 years. His first symptom was coughing at night which lasted for several months until the pleural fluid was discovered on the right side of thorax. This triggered investigations led to a diagnosis of mesothelioma. According to a systematic literature search, mesothelioma has not been reported previously in relation to asbestos exposure in laboratory work. An operation was carried out, but the patient refused to take chemotherapy due to the limited benefits that could be expected from it. Instead, he opted for a Budwig protocol. The case has had a good quality of life since the surgery, and did not have any medications. He has regular check-ups at the hospital. Conclusion: Our study has shown that mesothelioma is not only a risk to people directly exposed to asbestos, but also indirectly from, for example, laboratory work. People should avoid exposure to asbestos in daily life.

Keywords

Mesothelioma; Asbestos; Occupational Diseases; Laboratory; Budwig

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Bianchi, C., Giarelli, L., Grandi, G., Brollo, A., Ramani, L. and Zuch, C. (2005) Latency periods in asbestos-related mesothelioma of the pleura. European Journal Cancer Prevention, 6, 162-166.
[2]	Robinson, B.W.S., Musk, A.W. and Lake, R.A. (2005) Malignant mesothelioma. The Lancet, 366, 397-408. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67025-0
[3]	Okio, H., Kazu, S. and Masahiro, M. (2007) Diagnostic biomarker of asbestos-related mesothelioma: Example of translational research. Cancer Science, 98, 1147-1151. doi:10.1111/j.1349-7006.2007.00520.x
[4]	Hino, O. and Maeda, M. (2008) Diagnostic tumor marker of asbestos-related mesothelioma. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 13, 71-74. doi:10.1007/s12199-007-0014-9
[5]	Fischbein, A., Luo, J.J. and Pinkston, R.G. (1991) Asbestosis, laryngeal carcinoma, and malignant peritoneal mesothelioma in an insulation worker. British Journalof Industrial Medicine, 48, 338-341.
[6]	Muscat, E.J. and Wynder, L.E. (1991) Cigarette smoking, asbestos exposure, and malignant mesothelioma. Cancer Research, 51, 2263-2267.
[7]	Järvholm, B. and Sandén, Å. (1998) Lung cancer and mesothelioma in the pleura and peritoneum among Swedish insulation workers. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 55, 766-770. doi:10.1136/oem.55.11.766
[8]	Fonte, R., Gambettino, S., Melazzini, M., Scelsi, M., Zanon, C. and Candura, M.S. (2004) Asbestos-induced peritoneal mesothelioma in a construction worker. Environmental Health Perspectives, 112, 616-619. doi:10.1289/ehp.6542
[9]	McAleer, M.F., Tsao, A.S. and Liao, Z. (2009) Radiotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma. International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, 75, 326- 337. doi:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2009.06.037
[10]	Mikulski, S. (1995) Treatment of malignant mesothelioma (review). International Journal of Oncology, 7, 1415-1420.
[11]	Berghmans, T., Paesmans, M., Lalami, Y., Louviauk, I., Luce, S., Mascaux, C., et al. (2002) Activity of chemotherapy and immunotherapy on malignant mesothelioma: A systemic review of the literature with meta-analysis. Lung Cancer, 38, 111-121. doi:10.1016/S0169-5002(02)00180-0
[12]	Waite, K. and Gilligan, D. (2007) The role of radiotherapy in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Clinical Oncology, 19, 182-187. doi:10.1016/j.clon.2006.12.006
[13]	Chamberlain, J. (2008) Cancer recovery guide: 15 alternative and complementary strategies for restoring health. Oxford, 68-72.
[14]	Antman, K.H. (1993) Natural history and epidemiology of malignant mesothelioma. Chest, 103, 373S-376S. doi:10.1378/chest.103.4_Supplement.373S
[15]	Park, E.K., Takahashi, K., Hoshuyama, T., Cheng, T.J., Delgermaa, V., Vinh Le, G. and Sorahan, T. (2011) Global magnitude of reported and unreported mesothelioma. Environmental Health Perspectives, 19, 514-518. doi:10.1289/ehp.1002845
[16]	Joshi, T.K. and Gupta, R.K. (2004) Asbestos in developing countries: Magnitude of risk and its practical implications. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 17, 179-185.
[17]	Yang, M. (2011) A current global view of environmental and occupational cancers. Journal of Environmental Science Health Part C: Environmental Carcinogenesis & Ecotoxicology Reviews, 29, 223-249.
[18]	Bagheri, R., Haghi, S.Z., Rahim, M.B., Attaran, D. and Toosi, M.S. (2011) Malignant pleural mesothelioma: Clinicopathologic and survival characteristic in a consecutive series of 40 patients. The Annals of Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery, 17, 130-136. doi:10.5761/atcs.oa.09.01427
[19]	Zarogoulidis, P., Orfanidis, M., Constadinidis, T.C., Eleutheriadou, E., Kontakiotis, T., Kerenidi, T., Kerenidi, T., Sakkas, L., Courcoutsakis, N. and Zarogoulidis K. (2011) A 26-year-old male with mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure: Case report. Medicine, 2011, Artical ID: 951732. doi:10.1155/2011/951732