War journalism: an occupational exposure

Our plain-English summary of War journalism: an occupational exposure, by N. Magnavita, M.T. Congedo, R.R. Di Prinzio, et al (BMJ Case Reports, 2021).

The study

• Authors: N. Magnavita, M.T. Congedo, R.R. Di Prinzio, A. Iuliano
• Journal: BMJ Case Reports
• Published: 2021;14(10)
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 2 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Apart from the risk of accidents, war theatres present a hazard related to numerous long-lasting toxic agents. For 10 years, a >60-year-old male journalist worked in war theatres in the Far and Near East where he was exposed to asbestos and other toxic substances (metals, silica, clays, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other organic substances) contained in dust and smoke of destroyed buildings. More than 15 years later, he developed a mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the soft palate and, subsequently, a pleural malignant mesothelioma. The safety of war journalists should focus not only on preventing the risk of being killed, but also on providing protection from toxic and carcinogenic agents. Exposure to substances released during the destruction of buildings can also pose a carcinogenic risk for survivors.

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In plain English

This article was a case report about one journalist, described as a man over 60. The journalist had worked as a war correspondent in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan for about 10 years from the early 1990s, and in an urban office since 2003. By the journalist's own account, each mission meant living for months among the rubble of bombed buildings built with extensive use of asbestos. The authors had no data on which pollutants were present or at what levels. The journalist had smoked heavily (35 packs/year) and had emphysematous chronic bronchitis. Both parents had had lung cancer and two sisters breast cancer. In 2017 a mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the soft palate was diagnosed. In 2021, after hospitalisation for a massive right pneumothorax (collapsed lung), a multifocal malignant pleural mesothelioma was diagnosed. The authors judged silica and asbestos the main carcinogens the workers had been exposed to. They also suspected a genetic predisposition, but no genetic tests were done. The authors concluded that the case showed the need to assess occupational hazards for all workers in war scenarios.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: case report (one patient)
• Who was studied: One journalist, described as a male over 60 years old, who worked as a war correspondent in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan for about 10 years starting in the early 1990s, then in an urban office from 2003; hospitalised in February 2021
• Exposure: Dust and smoke from destroyed buildings in war zones, reported by the patient to have been built in the 1950s and 1960s with extensive asbestos use; the authors also list metals, silica, clays, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other organic substances. No fiber type was identified and no exposure measurements were made. The patient also had a smoking history of 35 packs/year.
• Main results:
  • More than 15 years after the war-zone work, the patient developed a mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the soft palate (diagnosed 2017, treated by surgery) and later a pleural malignant mesothelioma
  • In 2021 the patient was hospitalised for a massive right pneumothorax; thoracoscopy and biopsies found a multifocal malignant pleural mesothelioma
  • The mesothelioma was treated with surgery and chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed
  • The patient had a smoking history of 35 packs/year and had developed emphysematous chronic bronchitis
  • Family history: both parents had lung cancer and two sisters had breast cancer; the authors suspected a genetic predisposition
  • The authors judged silica and asbestos to be the main carcinogens to which the workers had been exposed
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the case underlines the need for a thorough assessment of occupational hazards and risks for all workers in war scenarios. They also called for personal protective equipment and regular check-ups.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • No data on the type or levels of pollutants present in the war theatres
  • No genetic tests were done on the patient to check the suspected genetic predisposition

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Occupational Exposure, Carcinoma, Malignant Mesothelioma, Carcinogenic.

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