The results of 30 years screening of exposed workers in the hard metal industry are presented in a retrospective study. There were 11 workers who had radiographic signs of pulmonary fibrosis. No correlation was found between intensity and/or duration of exposure and the stage and progression of pulmonary fibrosis. In 45% of the cases there was progression of the fibrosis after cessation of the exposure. Steroid therapy in three cases relieved the subjective symptoms but there was no regression of the fibrosis.

The annual incidence of lung cancer in Hungary is about 6,000. Since in our series of lung cancer patients about 4% were observed, which could be accepted as representing occupational disease because of a cumulative exposure to 25 fibre-years or more, the annual asbestos related lung tumour incidences may be estimated to be approximately 150 or more. The proportion of nearly two estimated cases of lung cancer per case of pleural mesothelioma corresponds to international experience. Up to now, lung cancer cases only exceptionally have been registered as occupational diseases, i.e. they were seriously under-diagnosed in Hungary. For improving this situation, diagnostic assistance by a self-interview with a questionnaire covering the working history for all newly diagnosed lung cancer patients would be helpful.

No abstract