2006 Volume 17 Issue 4 Pages 385-390
With the increasing detection of patients with malignant mesothelioma among residents living near factories and facilities handling asbestos in the past, asbestos-related diseases have become a big medical, social and political issue in Japan. Therefore, we should seriously consider what we, as researchers into the biological effects of asbestos in the field of preventive medicine, can do to clarify the problem and which type of investigations may eliminate the anxiety of Japanese people. One answer is to establish biomarkers for asbestos exposure, since most people do not know for sure whether or not they were exposed to asbestos 30 to 40 years ago. In addition, we should develop markers to detect asbestos-induced malignancies such as lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma. Moreover, the establishment of the markers for molecular prevention of asbestos-induced carcinogenesis would be much appreciated news to persons feeling anxiety about the uncertainty of past exposure to asbestos.
