Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38671450›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2024

Asbestos ban policies and mesothelioma mortality in Greece.

Evdoxia Gogou, Chryssi Hatzoglou, Dimitra Siachpazidou, Sotirios G Zarogiannis, Konstantinos I Gourgoulianis

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Evdoxia GogouDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, BIOPOLIS, 41500, Larissa, Greece. egogou@uth.gr.
Chryssi HatzoglouDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, BIOPOLIS, 41500, Larissa, Greece.
Dimitra SiachpazidouDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, BIOPOLIS, 41110, Larissa, Greece.
Sotirios G ZarogiannisDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, BIOPOLIS, 41500, Larissa, Greece.
Konstantinos I GourgoulianisDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, BIOPOLIS, 41110, Larissa, Greece.
University of Thessaly · GR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMalignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that mostly affects the pleura and has a strong link to asbestos exposure. Greece banned the use of asbestos in 2005, however, the public was already aware of this substance in the 1980s. This research aims to present an overview of Greece's mesothelioma age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) from 1983 to 2019 by age, gender, and geographic region and to determine whether the actions to ban asbestos impacted these rates.

methodsData were retrieved by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (HSA) from death certificates that mentioned mesothelioma as the cause of death from 1983 to 2019 with details on the residence, gender, and age. Statistical analysis was performed using PRISM 6.0 software, a two-way ANOVA test, Trend analysis was conducted using Joinpoint Regression Program 5.0 software. The linear and non-linear model was used to calculate the age-standardized rates of annual percentage change (APC) and its 95% confidential interval (95% CI).

resultsFrom 1983 to 2019, 850 total mesothelioma deaths were recorded, the majority of whom were males (634). A rate of 74.6% accounts for males and 25.4% for females, and the ratio of Males: Females was 3:1. Males' ASMR and the whole population's ASMR reached their highest levels in 2011 (0.93/100000person-years and 0.53/100000person-years, respectively). To look for potential changes between the first two decades of the 21st century, we compared the mean ASMR of each geographic region in Greece between two different 10-year subperiods (2000-2009 and 2010-2019). Except for Epirus, all regions of Greece had elevated regional ASMRs, particularly in those with the highest asbestos deposits. Notably, the ASMR in Epirus decreased from 0.54/100000person-years (2000-2009) to 0.31/100000person-years (2010-2019). After 2011, the ASMR for men and the general population stabilized. This stability is important since mesothelioma in men is associated with occupational asbestos exposure. The intriguing discovery of a lower ASMR in Epirus emphasizes the need to raise awareness of the condition and implement effective public health measures.

conclusionsIn Greece, the annual ASMR for males and the whole population reached its highest level in 2011, which is positive and encouraging and may be a sign that the rate will stabilize during the following years. Moreover, this study showed that the actions made in the 1980s regarding public awareness and surveillance directly impacted the decrease in Epirus rates. Future research, continual awareness, information, and recording are needed to monitor the mesothelioma epidemic. The possible benefit of a mesothelioma registry and the epidemiological surveillance of asbestos-related diseases, particularly mesothelioma mortality, need to be addressed.

trial registrationNot applicable.

Indexed as

AsbestosMesotheliomaAdultAgedAged, 80 and overEnvironmental ExposureFemaleGreeceHumansLung NeoplasmsMaleMesothelioma, MalignantMiddle AgedAsbestosAsbestos-ban legislationEpidemiologyMesothelioma in GreeceMortality ratePublic awareness

Identifiers

PMID38671450
PMCPMC11055379
OpenAlexW4395666912

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.