{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T18:13:22Z","timestamp":1774030402445,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773964800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100006120","name":"Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100006120","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    The nationwide prevalence of asbestos-related lung cancer (ARLC) needs to be accurately estimated to adequately operate a compensation subsidy program for patients with ARLC. In the present study, we aimed to estimate the proportion of patients with ARLC among patients with primary lung cancer according to the criteria established in the Japanese national compensation system, and described the characteristics and distribution of ARLC,. All facilities that treated patients diagnosed with lung cancer in 2016 were requested to submit computed tomography (CT) images of ten patients who were randomly selected from the national databases of hospital-based cancer registries. ARLC was defined as pleural plaques (PPs) extending over one-quarter of the inner lateral chest wall or existing PPs accompanied by obvious lung fibrosis. We estimated the proportion and distribution of ARLC among primary lung cancer cases and compared the characteristics of ARLC with those of primary lung cancer. Of the 772 facilities that treated at least one patient with lung cancer, 370 facilities provided 3,565 sets of CT images. Among them, 216 (6.1%) patients had PPs, and 86 (2.4%) patients met the compensation criteria. After sample weighting, 2.0% of all primary lung cancers were classified as ARLC in Japan. Compared with other primary lung cancers, a higher percentage of patients with ARLC were male (94.2% vs. 68.6%;\n                    <jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009&lt;\u20090.01) and had more advanced-stage disease (stage III: 22.1% vs. 16.0%; stage IV: 44.2% vs. 39.8%;\n                    <jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009=\u20090.05). Most patients with ARLC (53.5%) were diagnosed at designated cancer hospitals. The proportion of patients with squamous cell carcinoma was higher in patients with ARLC than in those with primary lung cancer (25.6% vs. 18.6%;\n                    <jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009&lt;\u20090.01). The estimated number of patients with ARLC was higher than expected from the number of applicants in the Asbestos Health Damage Relief System for asbestos-related health damages. Thus, countermeasures are needed to accurately identify eligible compensation recipients.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0313468","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T17:21:47Z","timestamp":1774027307000},"page":"e0313468","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A nationwide survey on the prevalence of asbestos-related lung cancer in Japan"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0536-452X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Mariko","family":"Niino","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Taro","family":"Tomizuka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yuka","family":"Nishina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2474-785X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Yuichi","family":"Ichinose","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5018-4683","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Wataru","family":"Gonoi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Takahiro","family":"Higashi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]]},"reference":[{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0313468.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"453","DOI":"10.1016\/S1470-2045(09)70134-2","article-title":"A review of human carcinogens--Part C: metals, arsenic, dusts, and fibres","volume":"10","author":"K Straif","year":"2009","journal-title":"Lancet Oncol"},{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0313468.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1297","DOI":"10.1097\/JOM.0000000000000258","article-title":"The risk of lung cancer after cessation of asbestos exposure in construction workers using pleural malignant mesothelioma as a marker of exposure","volume":"56","author":"B J\u00e4rvholm","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Occup Environ Med"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0313468.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.2486\/indhealth.47.113","article-title":"Asbestos-related occupational cancers compensated under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance in Korea","volume":"47","author":"Y-S Ahn","year":"2009","journal-title":"Ind Health"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0313468.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"94","DOI":"10.2486\/indhealth.41.94","article-title":"Clinical study of asbestos-related lung cancer","volume":"41","author":"T Kishimoto","year":"2003","journal-title":"Ind Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0313468.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"144","DOI":"10.1378\/chest.105.1.144","article-title":"Pleural plaques and risk for bronchial carcinoma and mesothelioma. A prospective study","volume":"105","author":"G Hillerdal","year":"1994","journal-title":"Chest"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0313468.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1194","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1349-7006.2010.01509.x","article-title":"Clinical study of asbestos-related lung cancer in Japan with special reference to occupational history","volume":"101","author":"T Kishimoto","year":"2010","journal-title":"Cancer Sci"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0313468.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1261","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph14101261","article-title":"Experience of Japan in achieving a total ban on asbestos","volume":"14","author":"S Furuya","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0313468.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/S2665-9913(23)00211-4","article-title":"Global, regional, and national burden of rheumatoid arthritis, 1990-2020, and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021","volume":"5","author":"RJ Black","year":"2023","journal-title":"The Lancet Rheumatology"},{"key":"pone.0313468.ref009","volume-title":"Cancer statistics","author":"NCC Cancer Information Service"},{"key":"pone.0313468.ref010","volume-title":"The health and consequences of smoking","author":"Health UDo SH","year":"1988"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0313468.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.5334\/aogh.2419","article-title":"Global epidemiology of lung cancer","volume":"85","author":"JA Barta","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ann Glob Health"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0313468.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"591","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17020591","article-title":"Asbestos-related lung cancer: a hospital-based case-control study in Indonesia","volume":"17","author":"A Suraya","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0313468.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"271","DOI":"10.1080\/14737140.2020.1745067","article-title":"Asbestos-related cancers: the \u201cHidden Killer\u201d remains a global threat","volume":"20","author":"N van Zandwijk","year":"2020","journal-title":"Expert Rev Anticancer Ther"},{"key":"pone.0313468.ref014","unstructured":"Subcommittee CEC. For the enforcement status and future direction of the Asbestos Health Damage Relief System. 2016."},{"key":"pone.0313468.ref015","unstructured":"Environment Mot. Act on asbestos health damage relief. 2023."},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0313468.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"236","DOI":"10.1539\/joh.2017-0199-OA","article-title":"Potential asbestos exposure among patients with primary lung cancer in Japan","volume":"60","author":"A Tamura","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Occup Health"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0313468.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"291","DOI":"10.1002\/(SICI)1097-0274(200003)37:3<291::AID-AJIM7>3.0.CO;2-A","article-title":"The prevalence of pleural plaques and\/or pulmonary changes among construction workers in Okayama, Japan","volume":"37","author":"T Kishimoto","year":"2000","journal-title":"Am J Ind Med"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0313468.ref018","first-page":"311","article-title":"Asbestos, asbestosis, and cancer: the Helsinki criteria for diagnosis and attribution","volume":"23","year":"1997","journal-title":"Scand J Work Environ Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0313468.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.5271\/sjweh.3462","article-title":"Asbestos, asbestosis, and cancer, the Helsinki criteria for diagnosis and attribution 2014: recommendations","volume":"41","author":"H Wolff","year":"2015","journal-title":"Scand J Work Environ Health"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0313468.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"444","DOI":"10.1002\/ajim.22430","article-title":"Significant relationship between the extent of pleural plaques and pulmonary asbestos body concentration in lung cancer patients with occupational asbestos exposure","volume":"58","author":"T Yusa","year":"2015","journal-title":"Am J Ind Med"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0313468.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1201","DOI":"10.1093\/jjco\/hyaa110","article-title":"Recent malignant testicular tumor trend in Japan, a country with an aging population: a large-scale study of 2012-2015 hospital-based cancer registry data","volume":"50","author":"K Kojo","year":"2020","journal-title":"Jpn J Clin Oncol"},{"key":"pone.0313468.ref022","unstructured":"Cancer and Disease Control Division Ministry of Health Law. Cancer incidence of Japan 2016. 2016."},{"key":"pone.0313468.ref023","unstructured":"Ministry of Health LaW. Worker\u2019s compensation application status report. 2016."},{"key":"pone.0313468.ref024","unstructured":"Agency E RaC. Statistical report of asbestos health damage relief system. 2016."},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0313468.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1421","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.92.9.1421","article-title":"Occupational injury and illness surveillance: conceptual filters explain underreporting","volume":"92","author":"LS Azaroff","year":"2002","journal-title":"Am J Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0313468.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"19410","DOI":"10.3402\/gha.v6i0.19410","article-title":"Compensation for environmental asbestos-related diseases in South Africa: a neglected issue","volume":"6","author":"N Ndlovu","year":"2013","journal-title":"Glob Health Action"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0313468.ref027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"415","DOI":"10.1097\/00043764-199705000-00007","article-title":"A state-based surveillance system for work-related asthma","volume":"39","author":"KD Rosenman","year":"1997","journal-title":"J Occup Environ Med"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0313468.ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"392","DOI":"10.1136\/oem.2007.035808","article-title":"Inequities in reporting asbestos-related lung cancer: influence of smoking stigma and physician\u2019s specialty, workload and role perception","volume":"65","author":"P Verger","year":"2008","journal-title":"Occup Environ Med"},{"key":"pone.0313468.ref029","unstructured":"Subcommittee CECAHDRS. The considerations regarding medical judgement for asbestos health damaged relief system. 2020."},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0313468.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"565","DOI":"10.1016\/S0003-4878(00)00045-4","article-title":"The quantitative risks of mesothelioma and lung cancer in relation to asbestos exposure","volume":"44","author":"JT Hodgson","year":"2000","journal-title":"Ann Occup Hyg"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0313468.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1002\/ijc.10308","article-title":"Cigarette smoking and subsequent risk of lung cancer by histologic type in middle-aged Japanese men and women: the JPHC study","volume":"99","author":"T Sobue","year":"2002","journal-title":"Int J Cancer"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0313468","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T17:21:52Z","timestamp":1774027312000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0313468"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Xingyu","family":"Xiong","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]]},"references-count":31,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0313468","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]]}}}