Estimating the disease burden of lung cancer attributable to residential radon exposure in Korea during 2006-2015: A socio-economic approach

Review Article on Molecular Basis of Zinc and Copper Interactions in Cancer Physiology

Various clinical manifestations associated with measurable abnormalities of Zn and Cu in serum and tissue were determined in Cancer-Patients (CP), and therefore, these two metals are drawing more and more attention presently than ever before. Cancer is a disease of uncontrolled-abnormal-cell-division with invasion-potential which was exhibited to occur due to dys-regulation/dys-homeostasis of fundamental-biological-pathways (FBP) including antioxidant-enzyme-defense-system, anti-inflammatory and immune-systems, and DNA-damage-repair-system in the human-body resulting in generation of chronic-oxidative-stress induced DNA-damage and gene-mutations, inflammation and compromised immune-system, tumor-induced increased angiogenesis, and inhibition of apoptosis processes. Zn and Cu were recognized to be the most crucial components of FBP and imbalance in Zn/Cu ratios in CP asserted to generate chronic toxicity in human body through various mechanisms including increased chronic oxidative stress linked compromised DNA integrity and gene mutations due to malfunctioning of DNA damage repair enzymes; increased angiogenesis process due to Zn- and Cu-binding proteins metallothionein and ceruloplasmin-induced enhanced expression of tumor growth factors; and elevation in inflammatory response which was further shown to down/upregulate gene expression of multiple Zn transporter proteins leading to dys-homeostasis of intracellular Zn concentrations, and it was determined to disturb the equilibrium between cell growth and division, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis processes which lead to cancer progression. Moreover, Zn was reported to affect matrix metalloproteinase activity and influence immune system cells to respond differently to different cytokines and enhance immune-suppressive effects accelerating the angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis potential in cancer. Further, the most significant use of serum Cu/Zn ratio was recommended in clinical diagnosis, prognosis, tumor stage, patient survival, and cancer follow-up studies which need further investigations to elucidate and explore their roles in cancer physiology for clinical perspective.

Predicting individuals' preventive practices against Radon indoor exposure in Saudi Arabia: a cross sectional study

Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, poses a significant public health risk. This study aimed to assess indoor radon exposure in Saudi Arabia using the health belief model (HBM) as a framework for understanding and influencing public behaviour regarding the prevention on indoor radon exposure.A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted involving 803 participants from diverse backgrounds recruited through convenience sampling. The online questionnaire assessed sociodemographics, risk factors, and HBM constructs (perceived susceptibility, barriers, benefits, seriousness, and self-efficacy). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS.Most participants showed neutral perceptions towards susceptibility, severity (82.7% each), benefits (85.2%), and barriers (59.7%) to preventive practices. Only 31.6% had high self-efficacy, with 16.4% practicing good prevention and 44.3% fair. Preventive practices correlated positively with perceived severity, benefits, and self-efficacy, but negatively with risk score and perceived barriers.The study highlights the need for improved radon prevention practices in Saudi Arabia, focusing on educational campaigns, self-efficacy enhancement, policy support for renters, and better risk communication. These measures are crucial for mitigating radon exposure risks across the population.

Disease Burden and Prediction Analysis of Tracheal, Bronchus, and Lung Cancer Attributable to Residential Radon, Solid Fuels, and Particulate Matter Pollution Under Different Sociodemographic Transitions From 1990 to 2030

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the impact of epidemiologic and sociodemographic changes in tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer associated with residential radon, solid fuels, and particulate matter.

RESEARCH QUESTION

What are the influencing factors of tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer disease burden attributable to the three pollutants?

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease 2019. Age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) and sociodemographic index (SDI) values were collected from 21 regions, and restricted cubic splines and quantile regression were used to investigate the relationship between ASMR or age-standardized disability-adjusted life years rate (ASDR), and SDI. Additionally, five countries with different SDIs were selected, and the Bayesian age-period-cohort model was used to predict the ASMR trends from 2020 to 2030.

RESULTS

High SDI quintiles were associated with increased residential radon pollution. The disease burden attributed to these three pollutants was particularly severe in the middle SDI quintiles. Older adults aged 80 to 89 years had the highest age-specific mortality, and the disease burden was greater in male patients than in female patients with these cancers attributed to the pollutants. The highest ASMR attributable to particulate matter when the SDI was 0.7. As the SDI increased, the disease burden caused by radon increased, whereas the burden caused by solid fuels decreased. Projections have indicated a rise in the death burden in patients with this cancer from particulate pollution in China, India, and Uganda over the next decade.

INTERPRETATION

The disease burden of tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer attributed to the three pollutants was influenced by SDI, sex, and age. Older men are more susceptible to be affected. More preventive interventions may be required for men at younger ages to reduce the high death burden of older men. However, it is necessary to give due attention to women in specific countries in the future.

Prediction of human health risk and disability-adjusted life years induced by heavy metals exposure through drinking water in Fars Province, Iran

Exposure to heavy metals in contaminated drinking water is strongly correlated with various cancers, highlighting the burden of disease. This study aimed to assess the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks associated with exposure to heavy metals (As, Pb, Cd, and Cr) in drinking water of Fars province and evaluate the attributed burden of disease. Non-carcinogenic risk assessment was performed using the hazard quotient (HQ) method, while the carcinogenic risk assessment utilized the excess lifetime cancer risk approach. The burden of disease was evaluated in terms of years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) for three specific cancers: skin, lung, and kidney cancer. The average drinking water concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) were determined to be 0.72, 0.4, 1.10 and 0.72 μg/L, respectively. The total average HQ of heavy metals in drinking water in the study area were 0.127, 0.0047, 0.0009 and 0.0069, respectively. The average ILCRs of heavy metal in the entire country were in the following order: 1.15 × 10-5 for As, 2.22 × 10-7 for Cd and 3.41 × 10-7 for Cr. The results also indicated that among the various counties analyzed, Fasa experiences the greatest burden of disease in terms of DALYs, with a value of 87.56, specifically attributed to cancers caused by exposure to arsenic. Generally, it can be said that the burden of disease is a critical aspect of public health that requires comprehensive understanding and effective intervention.

Burden of lung cancer and predicted costs of occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium in the EU - The impact of different occupational exposure limits

BACKGROUND

Exposure to hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] occurs widely in occupational settings across the EU and is associated with lung cancer. In 2025, the occupational exposure limit is set to change to 5 μg/m³. Current exposure limits are higher, with 10 μg/m³ as a general limit and 25 μg/m³ for the welding industry. We aimed to assess the current burden of lung cancer caused by occupational exposure to Cr(VI) and to evaluate the impact of the recently established EU regulation by analysing different occupational exposure limits.

METHODS

Data were extracted from the literature, the Global Burden of Disease 2019) study, and Eurostat. We estimated the cases of cancer attributable to workplace exposure to Cr(VI) by combining exposure-effect relationships with exposure data, and calculated related DALYs and health costs in scenarios with different occupational exposure limits.

RESULTS

With current EU regulations, 253 cases (95%UI 250.96-255.71) of lung cancer were estimated to be caused by Cr(VI) in 2019, resulting in 4684 DALYs (95%UI 4683.57-4704.08). In case the welding industry adopted 10 μg/m³, a decrease of 43 cases and 797 DALYs from current values is expected. The predicted application of a 5 μg/m³ limit would cause a decrease of 148 cases and 2746 DALYs. Current costs are estimated to amount to 12.47 million euros/year (95%UI 10.19-453.82), corresponding to 39.97 million euros (95%UI 22.75-70.10) when considering costs per DALY. The limits implemented in 2025 would lead to a decrease of 23.35 million euros when considering DALYs, with benefits of introducing a limit value occurring after many decades. Adopting a 1 μg/m³ limit would lower costs to 1.04 million euros (95%UI 0.85-37.67) and to 3.33 million euros for DALYs (95%UI 1.89-5.84).

DISCUSSION

Assessing different scenarios with different Cr(VI) occupational exposure limits allowed to understand the impact of EU regulatory actions. These findings make a strong case for adapting even stricter exposure limits to protect workers' health and avoid associated costs.

Probabilistic health risk assessment and monetization based on benzene series exposure in newly renovated teaching buildings

To meet the needs of the rapid development of education, there have been growing investments in the issue of university infrastructures. However, few studies have paid attention to the assessment and monetization of health risks in newly renovated teaching buildings. In this study, concentrations of the benzene series (BTEX) group were measured in five areas of three newly renovated teaching buildings. A total of 135 BTEX samples were collected using passive diffusion monitors and analyzed by GC-FID. Human health risk assessments were conducted by using probabilistic methods for four types of population exposure to BTEX. The results showed that the cancer risk of benzene accounted for most of the total in each group. There was over 90% probability of excess cancer risks in the areas within the tested buildings; and the non-cancer risks were all within the acceptable level. The health risks of men were greater than those of women, and those of teachers were higher than those of students. The model calculation results of Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) and Willingness to Pay (WTP) indicated that the average price that society was willing to pay to offset the health damage caused in these newly renovated teaching buildings was 381.35 yuan/year. For the first time, this study highlights the health risks of newly built teaching buildings in universities, points out the urgent need to improve the control of BTEX sources in this type of indoor environment; moreover, it provides theoretical support for the society and occupational protection departments to compensate for the health damage to professionals.

Cancers: What Are the Costs in Relation to Disability-Adjusted Life Years? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cancers currently represent a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, and precisely estimating their burden is crucial for evidence-based decision-making. This study aimed at understanding the average costs of cancer-related disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and highlighting possible differences in economic estimates obtained with diverse approaches. We searched four scientific databases to identify all the primary literature simultaneously investigating cancer-related costs and DALYs. In view of the different methodologies, studies were divided into two groups: those estimating costs starting from DALYs, and those independently performing cost and DALY analyses. The latter were pooled to compute costs per disease-related DALY: meta-analytic syntheses were performed for total costs and indirect costs, and in relation to the corresponding gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. The quality of included studies was assessed through the Quality of Health Economic Studies instrument. Seven studies were selected. Total and indirect pooled costs per DALY were, respectively, USD 9150 (95% CI: 5560-15,050) and USD 3890 (95% CI: 2570-5880). Moreover, the cost per cancer-related DALY has been found to be, on average, 32% (95% CI: 24-42%) of the corresponding countries' GDP per capita. Costs calculated a priori from DALYs may lead to results widely different from those obtained after data retrieval and model building. Further research is needed to better estimate the economic burden of cancer in terms of costs and DALYs.