This Monday, the Champalimaud Foundation begins a detection program for workers exposed to asbestos, with the aim of increasing the early detection of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) cancer, an initiative in collaboration with the SOS Asbestos association.
In a statement, the foundation specifies that “the program begins with the first three of a total of 200 people already identified by the SOS Asbestos Association”, who were exposed to the substance (natural mineral fibers, extracted from rocks) “in the Fiber Cement Factories of Portugal, since the 60s of the 20th century.
In an “innovative approach”, the MPM Early Diagnosis Program will use the method of analyzing volatile metabolites (product of the metabolism of a certain molecule or substance) in the exhaled air, using the breath, which will then be complemented with a computed tomography . thoracic dose (computed axial tomography).
This non-invasive approach will allow us to identify patterns of volatile organic compounds that may correspond to typical profiles of the disease, making more accurate and accessible screening and diagnosis possible,” the foundation states.
MPM is a type of malignant pleural tumor associated with continuous exposure to asbestos and difficult to diagnose. The most common symptoms are “difficulty breathing, chest pain, weight loss and fatigue,” which “can lead to confusion with other respiratory tract diseases.”
The fact that Symptoms generally only appear “in advanced stages of the disease”makes early diagnosis “crucial to increasing the chances of successful treatment.”
Around 92,500 cases of this disease are registered annually.whose mortality “is very high throughout the world.”
“Portugal registers only around 38 cases of MPM per year, due to the lack of diagnosis, a figure clearly lower than that of other Western countries,” says Jorge Cruz, surgeon at the Pulmonary Unit of the Champalimaud Foundation, who leads the aforementioned program. cited in statement.
“To improve the response in the treatment of this disease, it is necessary to create an early diagnosis strategy and develop therapeutic strategies, specifically surgery,” he adds.
Although it is included in the list of occupational diseases in Portugal, it is not mandatory to report it and only 3% of cases are reported.
“With the ban on the production of asbestos-containing materials in the European Community in 2005, the peak of this disease is expected to occur between 2020 and 2040,” he adds.
Given that “there is no protocol for the early diagnosis of MPM in Portugal”, the Champalimaud Foundation “will initiate a pioneering prospective study, which represents an important step to improve the detection and treatment of this disease.”
Asbestos can still be found in public and private buildings, for example in false ceilings or fiber cement tiles, most likely in those built between 1960 and 1990.
Source: Observadora
