RISK ASSESSMENT OF LUNG CANCER IN ASBESTOS CEMENT INDUSTRY WORKERS OF PESHAWAR DIVISION

Abstract

Objectives:

The study aimed to analyze the risk of developing lung cancer by asbestos exposure and its association with other risk factors.

Material and Methods:

A Structured and internationally validated UK Lung Cancer Screening Questionnaire was used to collect data from 152 asbestos-cement industry workers in the Peshawar division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The sample only included male workers over 49 and those who have worked in the cement industry for at least 4 years. Besides asbestos exposure, the questionnaire took into account age, lung diseases, malignancies, family history of cancer, smoking history, and radiation exposure. The data was later analyzed using the Liverpool Lung Project (LLP) risk model for assessment of the risk of developing lung cancer. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences 20 (SPSS-20) was used to investigate the association of asbestos with other risk factors.

Results: Our analysis with the LLP risk model showed that among the 152 subjects, 42(27.6%) individuals were at low risk, 22(14.5%) individuals were at moderate risk and 2 (1.3%) individuals were at high risk of developing lung cancer in the next 5 years. The association of asbestos with other risk factors was calculated through a chi-square test and the results showed a strong correlation between asbestos and cigarette smoking (75 individuals) and age in causing lung cancer with a p-value of 0.000 and 0.001 respectively. Having a family member diagnosed with cancer before the age of 60 also had a significant association with lung cancer in asbestos-exposed workers with a significance of 0.001. However, the study could not establish an association between radiation exposure (Xray {p-value = 0.277}, CT scan {p= 0.539}) and lung diseases like asthma {p=0.902}, bronchitis {p=0.020}, pneumonia {significance value=0.116}), except for tuberculosis (significance value=of 0.000) with asbestos as risk factors for lung cancer.

Conclusion: We concluded that there is a significant risk of developing lung cancer among workers in asbestos-cement industries in the next 5 years with the elderly, smokers, and those with a family history of cancer being at a higher risk.

Keywords: Lung cancer, asbestos exposure, cement industry, LLP risk model, risk assessment, smoking, age, family history of cancer