engleski

Occupational exposure and central nervous system tumors

Dr Lange and colleagues (Croat Med J 2004 ; 45(4):505-506.) suggest that the increased incidence of the central nervous system (CNS) tumors found in the Labin area, Croatia (Croat Med J 2004 ; 45(2):206-212.) might be related to the occupational exposure to hazardous substances. Our reply presents the epidemiological characteristics of glioblastoma, the most frequent type of CNS tumor (22 men and 8 women) in the Labin area. The spatial distribution was inhomogeneous and differed significantly, being the highest in Kršan (farming area) and Sv. Nedelja. This suggests a possible relation between glioblastoma and exposure to hazardous agricultural substances, mostly pesticides. However we detected too small a number of glioblastomas in order to seriously consider their etiology. It allows us only to guess about role of hazardous or possible causative factors like exposure to natural radiation or ionizating radiation because coalmining and hereditary syndromes (6 patients was linked to coal extraction) or about the role of air power-transmission network crossing inhabitates.

brain neoplasms ; central nervous system neoplasms ; Croatia ; epidemiology ; glioblastomas

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