Open AccessIs there an association between pleural plaques and lung cancer without asbestosis?
Author(s) -
Markku Nurminen,
Antti Tossavainen
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of work, environment and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.621
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1795-990X
pISSN - 0355-3140
DOI - 10.5271/sjweh.1427
Subject(s) - asbestosis , asbestos , lung cancer , medicine , population , confounding , cancer , pleural disease , oncology , pathology , lung , respiratory disease , environmental health , materials science , metallurgy
A recent review or meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies concluded that persons with asbestos-related pleural plaques do not have an increased risk of lung cancer in the absence of parenchymal asbestosis. The reviewer inferred that this conclusion provided indirect supportive evidence for the proposition that asbestosis is a necessary precursor of asbestos-related lung cancer. The objective of the present communication is to contest these claims.