Revista de Saúde Pública (Jun 1994)
Exposición ocupacional y cáncer de pulmón en fumadores Exposição ocupacional e câncer de pulmão em fumantes Occupational exposure and lung cancer in smokers
Abstract
Las altas tasas de incidencia y mortalidad por cáncer de pulmón en hombres en Rosario, Argentina motivaron o estudio de 211 pacientes varones. Se comparon las edades al diagnóstico entre los tipos histológicos y ocupaciones, y edad de iniciación, duración e intensidad del hábito de fumar. La edad promedio al diagnóstico fue 61 años, sin diferencias por tipo histológico pero sí por hábito de fumar: 58 años los fumadores y 68 los ex-fumadores (pForam estudados 211 pacientes do sexo masculino, fumantes, com câncer de pulmão, em Rosário (Argentina). Compararam-se as idades no momento do diagnóstico entre os tipos histológicos e ocupações e idade de início, duração e intensidade do hábito de fumar. A idade média dos pacientes diagnosticados foi de 61 anos, sem diferença por tipo histológico, porém por hábito de fumar: 58 anos os fumantes e 68 os ex-fumantes (pHigh male lung cancer incidence and mortality in Rosario city, Argentina, have been found in previous studies. A project was undertaken for the purpose of evaluating the life-time occupational history as well as the duration and intensity of cigarette smoking as determinants of histologic cell types in 211 male patients with primary lung cancer. Their histologic cell types were: squamous 39%, adenocarcinoma 29%, small cell 18%, and others and not specified 14%. An association was found between histologic cell types and occupations (p<0.0001), adenocarcinoma being more prevalent in office personnel, teachers, accountants, lawyers, and squamous in the other, supposedly dirtier working environments, mainly in those men who had begun to work in farming and later transferred to mechanics and metallurgy. These latter ones were diagnosed at a younger age than those in other occupations, with a significant difference for squamous and small cell. No differences in the smoking intensity were found between the occupational groups. The mean age these patients began to smoke at was 15 years for those with squamous and small cell, and 17 years for those with adenocarcinoma (p<0.001). An interesting finding was the difference at their mean-age at diagnosis, 58 years for smokers and 68 for ex-smokers (p<0.0001). Studies are needed to elucidate the interplay of risk factors in the etiology of histologic subtypes of lung cancer.
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