Are current or future mesothelioma epidemics in Hong Kong the tragic legacy of uncontrolled use of asbestos in the past?

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  • Author(s): Tse LA;Tse LA; Yu IT; Goggins W; Clements M; Wang XR; Au JS; Yu KS
  • Source:
    Environmental health perspectives [Environ Health Perspect] 2010 Mar; Vol. 118 (3), pp. 382-6. Date of Electronic Publication: 2009 Oct 22.
  • Publication Type:
    Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Language:
    English
  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 0330411 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1552-9924 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00916765 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Environ Health Perspect Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Original Publication: Research Triangle Park, N. C. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
    • Subject Terms:
      Asbestos/*adverse effects ; Mesothelioma/*chemically induced ; Mesothelioma/*epidemiology ; Occupational Exposure/*adverse effects; Adult ; Female ; Hong Kong/epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Mesothelioma/diagnosis ; Mesothelioma/etiology ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Time Factors
    • Abstract:
      Inhaled asbestos fibers may contribute to three-fourths of malignant mesotheliomas diagnosed in men and almost 40% of cases diagnosed in women. Bans on the manufacture and sale of amphibole asbestos fibers are expected to reduce the incidence of mesothelioma, but the long latency period from initial exposure to clinical disease means that people exposed before bans were enacted will continue to develop asbestos-related mesotheliomas as they age. Tse et al. (p. 382) used historical data on asbestos consumption and mesothelioma diagnoses to predict future mesothelioma trends in Hong Kong. Asbestos use peaked during a construction boom in the early 1960s and subsequently declined by > 90% following a ban on the sale and import of crocidolite and amosite asbestos in 1996, whereas mesothelioma diagnoses in men increased from a single case in 1972–1976 to 63 cases in 2002–2006 (corresponding to crude incidence rates of 0.09 and 3.86 cases/million men, respectively). Assuming an average latency of 42 years, the authors predict that incidence rates will peak in 2009 and that diagnoses will peak in 2014. However, they caution that ongoing use of chrysotile asbestos and the release of asbestos fibers from older buildings during demolition or renovation may slow the projected decline. [corrected]
    • Comments:
      Erratum in: Environ Health Perspect. 2010 Jun;118(6):A240.
      Comment in: Environ Health Perspect. 2010 Jul;118(7):A282. (PMID: 20601327)
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    • Accession Number:
      1332-21-4 (Asbestos)
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20100113 Date Completed: 20110328 Latest Revision: 20211020
    • Publication Date:
      20231215
    • Accession Number:
      PMC2854767
    • Accession Number:
      10.1289/ehp.0900868
    • Accession Number:
      20064790