A1394 Malignant pleural mesothelioma from 1998 to 2008 in a reference hospital in Minas Gerais, Brazil: data on asbestos exposure obtained from medical records

Wednesday, March 21, 2012: 16:00
Costa Maya 1 (Cancun Center)
Larissa Fiorentini, Department of Public Health, Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Dr. Ana Paula Scalia Carneiro, Department of Occupational Diseases, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Dr. Eduardo Algranti, Medicine Service, Fundacentro, São Paulo, Brazil
Dr. Luciana Ribeiro De Morais, Department of Occupational Diseases, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Dr. Nilson Figueiredo Amaral, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hospital Júlia Kubitscheck, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Introduction
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an asbestos-related cancer. In the State of Minas Gerais (MG),
as in Brazil, despite the wide use of the mineral, most cases of asbestos-related cancers are not identified, registered or compensated, setting up a social invisibility of these diseases in our midst. The aim of this study was to obtain data indicating asbestos exposure in medical records of MPM cases from 1998 to 2008, in a reference hospital for thoracic surgery (HJK) in MG.

Methods
A retrospective study searching for suspected cases of MPM, in HJK’s records books. Cases were classified according to the criteria of Italian National Registry of Mesothelioma and a thorough search on current occupation, occupational, paraoccupational and environmental history made in the records. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 12.0.

Results
Within the period, 48 cases registered as MPM were found. After medical records review, 6 were classified as certain MPM, 4 as probable, 3 as possible, 4 as suspected and 31 as non-cases. Among the 17 cases, there were data about current occupation in 13, with probable asbestos exposure in 7. There were scarce reports on occupational history in 3 of these 7 cases, with possible exposure in 2. No records were found regarding paraoccupational and environmental history.

Discussion
During this same period, the Brazilian Mortality Registry registered 15 deaths from MPM in MG. Possibly, the majority of MPM diagnosis came from this reference service. But, even in a specialized center, the absence of a detailed investigation on asbestos exposure was clear, probably due to a lack of knowledge and awareness by health professionals in regard to occupational and environmental diseases. This situation, associated with the long latency period of MPM, creates barriers in the search for causal links with asbestos exposure and contributes to the invisibility of the problem.

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