Occurrence of asbestos-related occupational diseases in the Czech Republic in the last 20 years

Objectives: Asbestos-related diseases are still a current problem worldwide. What is their occurrence in the Czech Republic? The answer is the subject of this study, which aims to provide a general and regional overview of the situation over the last 20 years with a more detailed focus on mesothelioma, the development of which is highly associated with asbestos exposure and the issue of their recognition as an occupational disease. Methods: In its retrospective reviews, the study is based on analyses of data from the Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic and data from the Czech National Cancer Registry, which also interconnects. Results: In the last 20 years, 512 new cases of occupational diseases from asbestos have been reported, namely 228 cases of pleural thick-ening, 133 mesotheliomas, 92 asbestoses, and 59 cases of lung cancer. In the last 5 years, mesotheliomas (n = 39) predominated among the reported diseases with a 45% proportion in the total number of 86 cases. The trend in their incidence, as the only one among asbestos-related diseases, is not declining. There was a significant difference in the overall incidence of mesothelioma in a general population and the incidence of occupational mesotheliomas. At the national level, occupational aetiology was acknowledged in only 11.3% of cases of mesothelioma on average. The highest proportion of occupational mesotheliomas and the highest incidence of all asbestos-related diseases were found in regions where the largest asbestos processing plants were located. Conclusion: The authors emphasize the importance of work history for the diagnostic process of asbestos-related diseases and also the need to perform follow-up examinations for their early detection.