Ubiratan Paula Santos1, Eduardo Algranti2, Eduardo Mello De Capitani3, Gustavo Faibischew Prado4, Ana Paula Scalia Carneiro5, Sílvia Carla Sousa Rodrigues6, Jefferson Benedito Pires de Freitas1,7, Rodrigo Caruso Chate8,9, Rafael Futoshi Mizutani1, Hermano Albuquerque de Castro10, Marcos Abdo Arbex11, Patrícia Canto Ribeiro12, Carlos Nunes Tietboehl Filho13, Maria Vera Cruz de Oliveira Castellano6, Guilherme Ward Leite1, Gustavo Corrêa de Almeida14, Committee on Environmental and Occupational Diseases
J Bras Pneumol.2024;50(3):e20240156
Asbestos was largely used in Brazil. It is a mineral that induces pleural and pulmonary fibrosis, and it is a potent carcinogen. Our objective was to develop recommendations for the performance of adequate imaging tests for screening asbestos-related diseases. We searched peer-reviewed publications, national and international technical documents, and specialists' opinions on the theme. Based on that, the major recommendations are: Individuals exposed to asbestos at the workplace for = 1 year or those with a history of environmental exposure for at least 5 years, all of those with a latency period > 20 years from the date of initial exposure, should initially undego HRCT of the chest for investigation. Individuals with pleural disease and/or asbestosis should be considered for regular lung cancer monitoring. Risk calculators should be adopted for lung cancer screening, with a risk estimate of 1.5%.
Keywords: Asbestosis/diagnosis; Asbestosis/prevention & control; Environmental exposure; Occupational exposure.