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Aim: To study a representative sample of patients with lung cancer in Spain in order to assess the involvement of asbestos as a causal factor. Methods: We present data from the first 60 patients diagnosed with lung cancer and undergoing lung resection surgery at five hospitals in Spain: Terrassa (Barcelona) (n = 22), Alicante (n = 12), Biscay (n = 15, two hospitals) and Navarre (n = 11). All patients were administered a specific questionnaire regarding their exposure to asbestos. In all individuals, lung tissue samples of 2 cm 3 were collected. For analysis of the asbestos bodies (AB), lung samples underwent chemical digestion with sodium hypochlorite. AB count was performed by light microscopy. Results: Fifty-one men (85%) and nine women, mean age (SD) 64 (11) years, were studied. Fifty-eight patients (97%) were smokers. Nineteen patients (32%) reported occupational exposure to asbestos. Asbestos bodies were found in 41 patients (68%), but their numbers exceeded 1000 AB/g dry tissue (range: 1008-129880) in only four (three of them with a history of occupational exposure). The median (range) of AB/g dry tissue was 53 (0-436) and 208 (0-129880) for exposed and unexposed individuals respectively (p Conclusions: The preliminary results of this questionnaire point to a high rate of asbestos exposure in Spanish lung cancer patients. Most cases presented asbestos in the lung, while levels with diagnostic value were observed in 7% of lung cancer patients. Study funded by SEPAR and FUCAP and presented on behalf of the AMCANES project research team. |
