Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Research Article

The characteristics of asbestos-related disease claims made to the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (KCOMWEL) from 2011 to 2015: Yon Soo An, Hyung Doo Kim, Hyeoung Cheol Kim, Kyoung Sook Jeong, Yeon Soon Ahn; Ann Occup Environ Med 2018;30:45. Published online July 11, 2018; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-018-0256-6

Background

This study aimed to enhance understanding of the epidemiologic characteristics of asbestos-related diseases, and to provide information that could inform policy-making aimed at prevention and compensation for occupational asbestos exposure, through analyzing asbestos-related occupational disease claims to Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service from 2011 to 2015.

Methods

We analyzed 113 workers who filed medical care claims or survivor benefits for asbestos exposure and occupational-related disease from 2011 to 2015. Among these claims, we selected approved workers’ compensation claims relating to malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer, and analyzed the general characteristics, exposure characteristics, pathological characteristics, and occupation and industry distribution.

Results

Malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer occurred predominantly in males at 89.7 and 94%, respectively. The mean age at the time of diagnosis for malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer was 59.5 and 59.7 years, respectively, while the latency period for malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer was 34.1 and 33.1 years, respectively. The companies involving exposed workers were most commonly situated within the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam region. Histology results for lung cancer indicated adenocarcinoma as the most common form, accounting for approximately one half of all claims, followed by squamous cell carcinoma, and small cell lung cancer. The most common occupation type was construction in respect of malignant mesothelioma, and shipbuilding in respect of lung cancer.

Conclusions

Considering the long latency period of asbestos and that the peak period of asbestos use in Korea was throughout the mid-1990s, damage due to asbestos-related diseases is expected to show a continued long-term increase. Few studies providing an epidemiologic analysis of asbestos-related diseases are available; therefore, this study may provide baseline data to assist in predicting and preparing for future harm due to asbestos exposure.

Trial registration

DUIH 2018–02–004-001. Registered 28 Februrary 2018.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

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Paul J Nicholson
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NEW SOLUTIONS: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy.2022; 32(2): 106. CrossRef
Standardized Incidence Ratio and Standardized Mortality Ratio of Malignant Mesothelioma in a Worker Cohort Using Employment Insurance Database in Korea
Eun-A Kim
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2021; 18(20): 10682. CrossRef
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The Epidemiologic Characteristics of Malignant Mesothelioma Cases in Korea: Findings of the Asbestos Injury Relief System from 2011–2015
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BMC Research Notes.2019;[Epub] CrossRef

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Original Article

Epidemiologic Characteristics Revealed with a Malignant Mesothelioma Surveillance System in Korea: Soon Hee Jung, Hyoung Ryoul Kim, Sang Baek Koh, Suk Joong Yong, Byong Soon Choi, Yeon Soon Ahn, Tae In Park, Myoung Ja Chung, Yun Mee Kim, Ji Sun Song, Yoon Kyong Chung, Joon Pyo Myung; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2006;18(1):46-52. Published online March 31, 2006; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2006.18.1.46

Abstract PDF

OBJECTIVES
This study estimated the magnitude of malignant mesothelioma and its epidemiologic features in Korea. We collected data on 160 cases for the 5-year period from 2001 to 2005.
METHODS
We established a surveillance system for malignant mesothelioma in 2001. The important participants were pathologists, and respiratory and occupational physicians. We reclassified these cases according to the date of diagnosis and calculated fatality by comparing National Mortality Data. We actively surveyed 18 cases which were diagnosed in 2004 and 2005 to evaluate their work-relatedness.
RESULTS
Among 160 cases, 18 were initially diagnosed before 1995, 57 from 1996 to 2000, 11 in 2001, 18 in 2002, 11 in 2003, 29 in 2004 and 16 in 2005. After 2001, 17cases were reported annually. Among the 86 cases which were diagnosed before 2003, 60 cases (69.8%) had died and 46(53.5%) had died within 1 year. Among the 18 cases which we surveyed, 5 were related with the construction industry, 2 with asbestos textile manufacturing industries and 1 with asbestos painting. There was no evident work relatedness in the other 10 cases, but 6 were related to environmental exposure.
CONCLUSIONS
Although this surveillance system revealed the magnitude of malignant mesothelioma in Korea, it needs to be supplemented by an active surveillance system using death certificate data and cancer registry data etc.

Citations

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Risk assessment of asbestos containing materials in a deteriorated dwelling area using four different methods
Yuan-Long Zhang, Hwi-Seok Byeon, Won-Hwa Hong, Gi-Wook Cha, Yoon-Ha Lee, Young-Chan Kim
Journal of Hazardous Materials.2021; 410: 124645. CrossRef
Comparison on the Releasing Characteristics of Asbestos Fiber from Plant Slate Roof and House Slate Roof
Jae-won Jeong, Eun-chul Yoo, Sang-Jonn Lee, Geun-Tae Park
Journal of Environmental Science International.2015; 24(7): 927. CrossRef
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Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention.2013; 14(6): 3379. CrossRef
Health Risk Assessment and Evaluation of Asbestos Release from Asbestos-cement Slate Roofing Buildings in Busan
Jae-Won Jeong, Sunja Cho, Geun-Tae Park, Sang-Joon Lee
Journal of Environmental Science International.2013; 22(12): 1579. CrossRef
A decade of malignant mesothelioma surveillance in Korea
Soon‐Hee Jung, Hyoung‐Ryoul Kim, Sang‐Baek Koh, Suk‐Joong Yong, Myoung Ja Chung, Chang‐Hun Lee, Joungho Han, Min‐Seob Eom, Sung‐Soo Oh
American Journal of Industrial Medicine.2012; 55(10): 869. CrossRef
Occupational Diseases in Korea
Seong-Kyu Kang, Eun A Kim
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2010; 25(Suppl): S4. CrossRef
Occupational Respiratory Cancer in Korea
Hye-Eun Lee, Hyoung Ryoul Kim
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2010; 25(Suppl): S94. CrossRef
Overview of Asbestos Issues in Korea
Hyoung Ryoul Kim
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2009; 24(3): 363. CrossRef
Epidemiologic Characteristics of Malignant Mesothelioma in Korea
Hyoung Ryoul Kim, Yeon-Soon Ahn, Soon-Hee Jung
Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2009; 52(5): 449. CrossRef

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Case Report

A Case of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Induced by Crocidolite: Jong Rae Roh, Jin Gun Sohn, Hye Ran Song, Jin Ha Kim, Jin Gon Seol; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2005;17(2):149-154. Published online June 30, 2005; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2005.17.2.149

Abstract PDF: Asbestos exposure may cause asbestosis, pleural plaques and benign pleural disease, and may give a predisposition to malignant mesothelioma in occupationally exposed workers. This case report describes a 50-year-old man, dying from histologically confirmed, diffuse, malignant mesothelioma after asbestos exposure. As a young man, he had been exposed at the workplace to crocidolite for 2 years, but he had no other known history of occupational or environmental asbestos exposure. The patient presented with chest pain and general weakness. Computed tomography showed bilateral irregular pleural thickening along both lower lateral chest walls and a low attenuating mass in the anterior portion of the left lobe. Pathological examinations revealed that it was an epithelial type with tubulopapillary structures and it tested immunohistochemically positive for antibodies against cytokeratin, calretinin and vimentin. The patient was started on chemotherapy but he died to the disease at ten months after the first onset of the symptoms. Mesothelioma is a rare neoplasm in the general population. Nevertheless, the importance of close medical surveillance of the high-risk population is emphasized, because of increased asbestos exposure.

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