Senyiğit A, Babayiğit C, Gökirmak M, Topçu F, Asan E, Coşkunsel M, Işik R, Ertem M
Department of Chest Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Dicle, Diyarbakir, Malatya, Turkey.
Respiration. 2000;67(6):610-4. doi: 10.1159/000056289.
Inhabitants of the southeast of Turkey (ST) have been exposed since childhood to inhalation of asbestos, from a material containing tremolite, used for whitewashing. This has resulted in an increased incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).
To review the epidemiological features of MPM cases in ST; to calculate and compare the incidence with the previously reported ones.
The study included 176 MPM cases from different places in ST. The incidence of MPM was calculated for those places according to the distribution of the cases.
In the previously identified regions of asbestos (region 1) where the population had been informed of the danger with the soil some decades ago, the MPM incidence was decreased, as compared to the previous reports. The annual incidence of MPM in these places was found to be 42.9 per million in this study while it had been reported to be 105.5 per million in the previous studies. In contrast, the incidence that was reported previously to be 2.75 per million in the regions where asbestos exposure had not been identified before (region 2) was found to be 8.6 per million in this study. In region 2 the incidence of MPM increased even in the second half of the last decade (5.9 versus 11.9 per million).
Use of asbestos-containing soil continues in different places in ST. Even if the use of this soil is abandoned today, MPM will be an important health problem in this region till the third or fourth decades of this century. Informing the villagers of the danger and preventing the use of this soil may result in a considerable decrease in the incidence of MPM.
土耳其东南部（ST）的居民自童年起就暴露于吸入石棉的环境中，这些石棉来自一种含有透闪石的材料，用于粉刷房屋。这导致恶性胸膜间皮瘤（MPM）的发病率上升。
回顾ST地区MPM病例的流行病学特征；计算并与之前报道的发病率进行比较。
该研究纳入了来自ST不同地区的176例MPM病例。根据病例分布情况计算这些地区MPM的发病率。
在先前确定的石棉地区（1区），几十年前当地居民已被告知土壤的危险性，与之前的报告相比，MPM发病率有所下降。本研究中这些地区MPM的年发病率为每百万42.9例，而之前的研究报告为每百万105.5例。相比之下，之前报告在未发现石棉暴露的地区（2区）发病率为每百万2.75例，本研究中该发病率为每百万8.6例。在2区，MPM发病率甚至在过去十年后半期有所上升（从每百万5.9例升至11.9例）。
ST不同地区仍在使用含石棉土壤。即使如今已停止使用这种土壤，MPM在该地区仍将是一个重要的健康问题，直至本世纪第三个或第四个十年。告知村民危险性并阻止使用这种土壤可能会使MPM发病率大幅下降。
