Occupational Cancer in Korea in the 1990s

Seong Kyu Kang; Yeon Soon Ahn; Ho Keun Chung

doi:10.35371/kjoem.2001.13.4.351

Articles

Page Path: HOME > Ann Occup Environ Med > Volume 13(4); 2001 > Article

Review Occupational Cancer in Korea in the 1990s: Seong Kyu Kang, Yeon Soon Ahn, Ho Keun Chung; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2001.13.4.351
Published online: December 31, 2001

Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute Incheon, Korea. skk@kosha.net

29 Views
1 Download
15 Crossref
0 Scopus

prev next

Full Article

Download PDF

Abstract

The proportion of cancer as a cause of death in Korean has been continuously increasing. In 2000, 24 %(59,020 of 247,346) of deaths were caused by cancer. Occupational exposure would have contributed to the development of some cancers. It would have accounted for more than 2,000 cancers in a year if 4% of all cancer or 10% of lung cancer was regarded as arising from the work environment. However, occupational cancer has not been reported as much as expected. The first case of occupational cancer reported officially was mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure at an asbestos textile industry in 1992. Following the report, many cases of occupational cancers have been reported such as lung cancer due to exposure to asbestos, chromium, exhaust gases, coke oven emissions, and silica, as well as leukemia due to exposure to benzene or other solvent and bladder cancer arising from exposure to benzidine salts. The Health Examination for retirees has been conducted since 1992 in order to detect occupational cancer early in workers who have been exposed to 11 carcinogenic substances. However, to date no occupational cancer has been detected through the Retirees' Health Examination. The Korea Labor Welfare Corporation(KLWC) has referred 108 claims for occupational cancer to the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency(KOSHA) between 1992 and 2000. Thirty-three cases were accepted, including 14 cases of lung cancer, eight cases of hematopoietic cancer and six cases of mesothelioma. KLWC has accepted the claim for primary lung cancer developed with pneumoconiosis as an occupational cancer, of which there were 31 cases in 1999 and 61 cases in 2000. In conclusion, special attention is required to detect occupational cancer due to their long latency period and the fact they are usually found after retirement.

Keywords: Occupational cancer;Compensation;Carcinogenic substance

Figure & Data

References

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Cooking oil fume exposure and Lung-RADS distribution among school cafeteria workers of South Korea
Minjun Kim, Yangho Kim, A Ram Kim, Woon Jung Kwon, Soyeoun Lim, Woojin Kim, Cheolin Yoo
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Gastric and rectal cancers in workers exposed to asbestos: a case series
Byeong Ju Choi, Saerom Lee, Iu Jin Lee, Soon Woo Park, Sanggil Lee
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2020;[Epub] CrossRef
Compensation for Occupational Cancer
Inah Kim, Eun-A Kim, Jae Young Kim
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2014; 29(Suppl): S40. CrossRef
A study of the status of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in relation to its metabolites among workers in a Korean chemical factory
Kwan Lee, Hyun-Sul Lim, Heon Kim
Ciência & Saúde Coletiva.2014; 19(12): 4809. CrossRef
Selection of Candidate Materials and their Prioritization for Chronic Inhalation and Carcinogenicity Test
Kyung-Taek Rim, Cheol-Hong Lim, Byung-Joon Ahn
Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.2014; 24(4): 587. CrossRef
Compensation for Work-Related Hematologic, Liver, and Infectious Diseases
Jung-Won Kim, Dong-Mug Kang
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2014; 29(Suppl): S66. CrossRef
Epidemiologic Characteristics of Compensated Occupational Lung Cancers among Korean Workers
Yeon-Soon Ahn, Kyoung Sook Jeong
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2014; 29(11): 1473. CrossRef
Historical review of the List of Occupational Diseases recommended by the International Labour organization (ILO)
Eun-A Kim, Seong-Kyu Kang
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2013;[Epub] CrossRef
Occupational Cancers with Chemical Exposure and their Prevention in Korea: A Literature Review
Kyung-Taek Rim
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention.2013; 14(6): 3379. CrossRef
Occupational Diseases in Korea
Seong-Kyu Kang, Eun A Kim
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2010; 25(Suppl): S4. CrossRef
Occupational Burden of Cancer in Korea
Eun-A Kim, Hye-Eun Lee, Seong-Kyu Kang
Safety and Health at Work.2010; 1(1): 61. CrossRef
Occupational Lymphohematopoietic Cancer in Korea
Eun-A Kim, Won Jin Lee, Mia Son, Seong-Kyu Kang
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2010; 25(Suppl): S99. CrossRef
Occupational Respiratory Cancer in Korea
Hye-Eun Lee, Hyoung Ryoul Kim
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2010; 25(Suppl): S94. CrossRef
Asbestos-related Occupational Cancers Compensated under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance in Korea
Yeon-Soon AHN, Seong-Kyu KANG
Industrial Health.2009; 47(2): 113. CrossRef
Occupational exposure to benzene in South Korea
Seong-Kyu Kang, Mi-Young Lee, Tae-Kyun Kim, Jeong-Oh Lee, Yeon Soon Ahn
Chemico-Biological Interactions.2005; 153-154: 65. CrossRef

Cite