Journal List > Korean J Occup Environ Med > v.18(1) > 1125812

TOOLS
Jung, Kim, Koh, Yong, Choi, Ahn, Park, Chung, Kim, Song, Chung, and Myung: Epidemiologic Characteristics Revealed with a Malignant Mesothelioma Surveillance System in Korea
Original Article

Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2006; 18(1): 46-52.

Published online: 30 January 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2006.18.1.46

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

Department of Pathology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Korea.

Department of Preventive Medicine, Industrial Medical Center, The Catholic University of Korea, Korea.

Department of Preventive Medicine and Institute of Occupational Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Korea.

Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Korea.

Korea Labor Welfare Corporation, Korea.

Korea Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea.

Department of Pathology School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Korea.

Department of Pathology, Chonbuk National University, Medical School, Korea.

Department of Pathology, Konyang University College of Medicine, Korea.

Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Kwandong University, Korea.

cyclor@catholic.ac.kr

Copyright © 2006 The Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Malignant mesothelioma, Surveillance system, Fatality

TOOLS
Similar articles