The lung canser and mesothelioma in towns with environmental exposure to erionite in the cappadocian region, Turkey

Abstract

Our previous study demonstrated the presence of environmental erionite fiber exposure in The Tuzköy town in Nevşehir located in the Cappadocian Region, Turkey. The aim of this study was to investigate whether environmental erionite exposure increases the incidence of lung cancer and mesothelioma. Method: One hundred and ninty-two deaths from mesothelioma and lung cancer living in the center or in the towns of Nevşehir were retrospectively (between 1999 and 2003) analyzed. The mortality of lung cancer and mesothelioma were calculated. Results: The mortality of lung cancer and mesothelioma were 162 and 30, respectively, for the whole population of Nevşehir; while they were 2 and 14 in the Tuzköy. The incidence was strikingly high for mesothelioma in the Tuzköy, another town in Nevşehir where an analysis for erionite could not be performed. The mortality from mesothelioma in the Tuzköy was 87.5% and it was approximately 50% of Nevşehir's mortality related to mesothelioma. Conclusion: The mortality of mesothelioma and lung cancer in the Tuzköy were higher than those of the general population in Turkey, suggesting a role of environmental erionite exposure in lung cancer and mesothelioma.