TITLE:
Mesothelioma in relation to asbestos exposure in laboratory work
AUTHORS:
Penpatra Sripaiboonkij, Maritta S. Jaakkola
KEYWORDS:
Mesothelioma; Asbestos; Occupational Diseases; Laboratory; Budwig
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.5 No.6,
June
6,
2013
ABSTRACT:
Introduction: Mesothelioma is a
malignant conditioncaused by exposure to asbestos that has typically a long latency
period. The disease is usually found in the later stages when the prognosis
is poor despite treatments. Objective: To
report a mesothelioma found in a laboratory. Method: We reported here a case of a 60 year-old-man who was
exposed to asbestos fibres-first when he studied in a laboratory at high
school and then he had exposure over the following years until graduating
with a master’s degree, but he did not have exposure after it. He was a
smoker as a teenager and he gave up after 23 years. His first symptom was
coughing at night which lasted for several months until the pleural fluid was
discovered on the right side of thorax. This triggered investigations led to a
diagnosis of mesothelioma. According to a systematic literature search, mesothelioma
has not been reported previously in relation to asbestos exposure in laboratory
work. An operation was carried out, but the patient refused to take chemotherapy
due to the limited benefits that could be expected from it. Instead, he opted
for a Budwig protocol. The case has had a good quality of life since the
surgery, and did not have any medications. He has regular check-ups at the
hospital. Conclusion: Our study
has shown that mesothelioma is not only a risk to people directly exposed to
asbestos, but also indirectly from, for
example, laboratory work. People should avoid exposure to asbestos in
daily life.