Promoting the quality of health surveillance of workers exposed to wood dust, with particular care to NPSC, in the territory of the Health Agency of Florence
Pristerà, L.A.; Sgarrella, C.; Luongo, F.; Faina, P.L.; Monticelli, L.; Bolognesi, R.; Pristerà, M.; Citroni, A.; Nisticò, A.R.; Castiglia, C.; Fiumalbi, C.; Porzio, P.; Cioni, A.; Bacci, P.; Buti, A.; Mucci, N.; Arcangeli, G.; Cupelli, V.
Giornale Italiano di Medicina del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia 34(3 Suppl): 617-620
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 1592-7830 PMID: 23405732 Document Number: 663384
Wood dust can cause occupational-related naso-sinusal cancer, characterized by a latency period of about 40 years. The Tuscany Cancer Registry estimates that cases of NPSC are from 20-25 per year into the Region (33% related to wood dust). These neoplasms are surgically treatable at early-stage and, for this reason, a rapid endoscopic diagnosis is considered to be reasonably useful for prognostic issues. We used a questionnaire to investigate nasal symptoms and NOSQ and SOLAR questionnaires to highlight respiratory/skins diseases, and a spirometry for each worker. Subjects with a working-age of more than 15 years, and those that were positive to the questionnaire and/or to the medical history were were referred to a specialist in otolaryngology. The prevalence of endoscopic positive findings--detected especially in subjects with a working age of more than 15 years--confirms the significance of the problem.