• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.141-152
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• 2023

Objective: We performed a meta-analysis of epidemiological results for the association between occupational exposure as a firefighter and cancer as part of the broader evidence synthesis work of the IARC Monographs program. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify cohort studies of firefighters followed for cancer incidence and mortality. Studies were evaluated for the influence of key biases on results. Random-effects meta-analysis models were used to estimate the association between ever-employment and duration of employment as a firefighter and risk of 12 selected cancers. The impact of bias was explored in sensitivity analyses. Results: Among the 16 included cancer incidence studies, the estimated meta-rate ratio, 95% confidence interval (CI), and heterogeneity statistic (I²) for ever-employment as a career firefighter compared mostly to general populations were 1.58 (1.14-2.20, 8%) for mesothelioma, 1.16 (1.08-1.26, 0%) for bladder cancer, 1.21 (1.12-1.32, 81%) for prostate cancer, 1.37 (1.03-1.82, 56%) for testicular cancer, 1.19 (1.07-1.32, 37%) for colon cancer, 1.36 (1.15-1.62, 83%) for melanoma, 1.12 (1.01-1.25, 0%) for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 1.28 (1.02-1.61, 40%) for thyroid cancer, and 1.09 (0.92-1.29, 55%) for kidney cancer. Ever-employment as a firefighter was not positively associated with lung, nervous system, or stomach cancer. Results for mesothelioma and bladder cancer exhibited low heterogeneity and were largely robust across sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: There is epidemiological evidence to support a causal relationship between occupational exposure as a firefighter and certain cancers. Challenges persist in the body of evidence related to the quality of exposure assessment, confounding, and medical surveillance bias.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.163-169
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• 2010

All forms of asbestos are proven human carcinogens. All forms of asbestos cause malignant mesothelioma, lung, laryngeal, and ovarian cancers, and may cause gastrointestinal and other cancers. No exposure to asbestos is without risk, and there is no safe threshold of exposure to asbestos. Asbestos cancer victims die painful lingering deaths. These deaths are almost entirely preventable. When evidence of the carcinogenicity of asbestos became incontrovertible, concerned parties, including the Collegium Ramazzini, called for a universal ban on the mining, manufacture and use of asbestos in all countries around the world. Asbestos is now banned in 52 countries, and safer products have replaced many materials that once were made with asbestos. Nonetheless, a large number of countries still use, import, and export asbestos and asbestos-containing products. And still today in many countries that have banned other forms of asbestos, the so-called "controlled use" of chrysotile asbestos continues to be permitted, an exemption that has no basis in medical science but rather reflects the political and economic influence of the asbestos mining and manufacturing industry. To protect the health of all people in the world, industrial workers, construction workers, women and children, now and in future generations - the Collegium Ramazzini calls again today on all countries of the world, as we have repeatedly in the past, to join in the international endeavor to ban all forms of asbestos. An international ban on asbestos is urgently needed.

• 대한세포병리학회지
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.36-41
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• 2003

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare vascular tumor of borderline malignancy which is characterized by the presence of "epithelioid" or "histiocytoid" endothelial cells. Superficial and deep tumors have been recognized in the extremities, head, neck, chest, and mediastinum of adult patients. It may also occur as a primary tumor of liver, bone, and other visceral organs. Few effusion cytologic findings of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma have been reported. We report a case of composite epithelioid hemangioendothelioma with focal epithelioid angiosarcomatous areas of the iliac bone and adjacent soft tissue in a 38-year-old female, which, during its metastatic course, was presented as a pleural effusion. The effusion was cellular with epithelioid cells presenting both singly and in clusters. The tumor cells were round to ovoid shewing cytoplasmic vacuolization, variability in cell size, and prominent nucleoli. The effusion smears and cell block sections revealed strong positive staining for CD31 and vimentin, weak positive for CD34 and Factor VIII-related antigen, and negative for cytokeratin, CEA, and calretinin. The cytologic findings in this case were similar to that of metastatic adenocarcinoma or malignant mesothelioma. Therefore, immunocytochemical staining in smear and cell block is a helpful tool to differentiate malignant 'epithelioid' cells in effusion.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제26권9호
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• pp.705-709
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• 1993

The mediastinoscopy was a well known useful diagnostic tool for detection of certain mediastinal tumors ,mediastinal lymph nodes invasion by bronchogenic carcinoma and metastatic cancer. A total of 33 cases of mediastinoscopies were reviewed, which were experienced at Chon Buk National University Hospital from August,1980 to October 1991. Mediastinoscopy was performed through anterior or parasternal approach in 18 cases, cervical approach in 14 cases and both in 1 case. In 12 cases which were used for preoperative stagig of lung cancer, 10 cases[83.3%] had the positive biopsy results at mediastinal nodes. In 11 cases for diagnosis of lymph nodes and masses with unknown lung lesion, small cell carcinoma revealed in 3 cases,squamous cell carcinoma in 2 , adenocarcinoma in 1 case and the others were had the negative biopsy results. In 10 cases for diagnosis of mediastinal tumors, lymphoma revealed in 2 cases, malignant thymoma in 2, sarcoidosis in 2, tuberculous granuloma in 1, mesothelioma in 1, metastatic cancer with unknown origin in 1 case. Thoracotomy was performed in 3 cases of lung cancers, 2 patients with negative biopsy results in preoperative staging and 1 patient with subcarinal lymph node involvement only. Bleeding complications during mediastinoscopy were developed in 2 cases, managed by anterior mini-thoracotomy.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제29권6호
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• pp.137-143
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• 2014

Asbestos is given to a variety of six naturally occurring silicate minerals. These minerals possess high tensile strength, flexibility, resistance to chemical and thermal degradation, and electrical resistance. These minerals have been used for decades in thousands of commercial products, such as insulation and fireproofing materials, automotive brakes, textile products, cement and wallboard materials. When handled, asbestos can separate into microscopic-size particles that remain in the air and are easily inhaled. It is now known that prolonged inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious and fatal illnesses including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Therefore the use of asbestos and asbestos products has dramatically decreased in recent years. Also all constructions including asbestos should be removed under strictly controlled conditions and very tightly implemented health & safety management systems. In this study, the process of the removal work of the asbestos cement slate was analyzed by IDEF-0 modeling and evaluated by 4M risk assessment method. The results show that removal work of the asbestos cement slate was classified five process and eighteen detail process. The risk of safety side the higher than the risk of health side in 4M risk assessment.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.118-123
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• 1982

Fourteen cases of pericardia I tumor were clinically experienced from June 1966 to July 1981, for 15 years in St. Mary's Hospital, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Catholic Medical College. There were three primary tumors of the pericardium, liposarcoma, teratoma and malignant mesothelioma, and 11 metastatic pericardial tumors. In metastatic pericardial tumors, eight were originated from the lung, one was breast, and the other two cases were unknown origin. There were 6 adenocarcinoma, one small cell carcionoma ~nd one alveolar cell carcinoma in 8 cases from the lung, and 5 male and 3 female patients were composed the metastatic pericardial cancer from the lung. In clinical symptoms were dyspnea in all cases, and 9 cases had the generalized edema and enlarged liver size. Six patients had been operated, three of the primary pericardial tumor and three of metastatic pericardial tumor. Two of the primary tumors were cured satisfactorily by the mass removal, but one died due to cardiac arrest at postoperative one day. In metastatic tumors, operation were performed as two pericardial window formation and one left lower lobectomy with pericardial fenestration, but one was died in second operative day. Other nine metastatic tumors were diagnosed by needle biopsy in one case and by cell block of effusion in eight cases.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.483-487
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• 1993

From July 1990 to August 1992,78 Hickman catheters and 22 chemoports were inserted in 98 patients for chemotherapy.We analyzed the clinical data of these patients. The results were as follows: 1]Mean age of patients was 42.8$\pm$1.6[SE] years 2]Male to female ratio was 1.09:1 3]The diseases of the cases were leukemia[66] ,lymphoma[8], stomach cancer[8],uterine cervix cancer[5],ovarian cancer[4],lung cancer[3],aplastic anemia[2],maxillary gland cancer[1],pancreas cancer[1],malignant mesothelioma[1] and multiple myeloma[1] 4]Mean values of preoperative WBC counts,platelet counts,PT and APTT were 31,500$\pm$ 8,132[SE]/mm,104,000$\pm$ 12,200 [SE]/mm,82$\pm$ 1.9[SE]% and 32$\pm$ 0.8[SE] sec,respectively. 5]The average duration of catheter uses was 121.7$\pm$ 17.3[SE]days. 6]The complications were subcutaneous tunnel bleeding or hematoma[2],exit site or subcutaneous tunnel infection[2] and catheter related septicemia[1]. 7]The causes of catheter removal were patient`s death or hopeless discharge[22],completion of treatment[6],subcutaneus hematoma or bleeding[2],exit site or subcutaneous tunnel infection[2] and catheter related septicemia[1].So,we concluded that Hickman catheter and chemoport were useful vascular access for chemotherapy in patients with malignant diseases, with low rate of complication and longterm duration.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.367-378
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• 2016

Recently, it was reported that the role of mitochondria-reactive oxygen species (ROS) generating pathway in cisplatin-induced apoptosis is remarkable. Since a variety of molecules are involved in the pathway, a comprehensive approach to delineate the biological interactions of the molecules is required. However, quantitative modeling of the mitochondria-ROS generating pathway based on experiment and systemic analysis using the model have not been attempted so far. Thus, we conducted experiments to measure the concentration changes of critical molecules associated with mitochondrial apoptosis in both human mesothelioma H2052 and their ${\rho}^0$ cells lacking mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Based on the experiments, a novel mathematical model that can represent the essential dynamics of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway induced by cisplatin was developed. The kinetic parameter values of the mathematical model were estimated from the experimental data. Then, we have investigated the dynamical properties of this model and predicted the apoptosis levels for various concentrations of cisplatin beyond the range of experiments. From parametric perturbation analysis, we further found that apoptosis will reach its saturation level beyond a certain critical cisplatin concentration.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제67권5호
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• pp.449-453
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• 2009

Desmoid tumor (fibromatosis) is a histologically benign fibrous neoplasm showing locally infiltrating growth. This type of tumor commonly occurs in the abdomen, but intrathoracic desmoid tumor is uncommon. To date, 12 cases of intrathoracic desmoid tumor protruding into the pleural cavity, radiologically mimicking pleural masses, have been reported. Here, we report on a case of intrathoracic desmoid tumor protruding into the pleural cavity, and partially covered by parietal pleura. The main preoperative differential diagnoses included pleural solitary fibrous tumor, inflammatory pseudotumor or malignant mesothelioma. A near-total mass excision was performed. Pathologically, the tumor was composed of a paucicellular arrangement of spindle-shaped cells with fibromyxoid stroma. The resection margin was partially involved with spindle cells present. On histochemical staining, the spindle cells were strongly positive for vimentin and negative for CD34, consistent with a desmoid tumor. The patient was stable without further adjuvant treatment during 6-years of follow-up.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.179-182
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• 2000

Background: A pleural effusion is not a disease entity but a clincial sign of systemic or pleural disease. Although the diagnosis of pleural effusion can often be done by toracentesis and pleural needle biopsy the yeild of positive diagnosis is low.