Risk assessment of gastric cancer associated with asbestosis: a case report

Abstract

BackgroundThe International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies asbestos as belonging to Carcinogen Group 2A for gastric cancer. We herein report a case of gastric cancer associated with asbestosis and describe the work-related and risk assessments of asbestos exposure for gastric cancer.Case presentationThe 66-year-old male patient in our case worked in asbestos spinning factories. His level of cumulated asbestos fiber exposure was estimated to be 38.0–71.0 f-yr/cc. Thus, the Excess Life Cancer Risk for lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure was 9,648×10−5, almost 9,600 times the value recommended by the United States of America Environmental Protection Agency (1 × 10−5). The relative risk of developing lung cancer for this patient was more than 25 f-yr/cc, a well-known criterion for doubling the risk of lung cancer.ConclusionThe patient’s exposure to high-dose asbestos was sufficient to increase his risk of gastric cancer because as the risk of lung cancer increased, the risk of gastric cancer was due to increase as well. Therefore, occupational asbestos fiber exposure might be associated with gastric cancer in this case.

Increased Risk of Gastric Cancer in Asbestos-Exposed Workers: A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on Taiwan Cancer Registry 1980–2015

“…The etiology of gastric cancer is multifactorial. Many studies have established causes of gastric cancer include alcohol drinking [ 9 ], foods preserved by salting, Helicobacter pylori infection, and tobacco smoking [ 10 ] as cofactors for its development. IARC summarized an insufficient evidence for gastric cancer associated with asbestos exposure.…”

“…IARC summarized an insufficient evidence for gastric cancer associated with asbestos exposure. However, a case of gastric cancer associated with asbestosis was reported in Korea with estimated asbestos exposure of more than 38 fibers/mL-year [ 9 ].…”