Sammanfattning
BACKGROUND Lung cancer can be caused by occupational exposure. This is not always recognised or reported, and not all patients receive the benefits to which they are
entitled.
MATERIAL AND METHOD We collected occupational case histories for patients from Sør-Trøndelag county with a first-time diagnosis of lung cancer. The number of reported
cases of occupationally related lung cancer was collected from the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, and information on approval of occupational illness was collected
from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Authority (NAV).
RESULTS 105 patients with lung cancer took part in the study, 73 men and 32 women. Among the men, altogether 12 cases (16 %) were assessed as likely and 16 (22 %) as
possibly occupationally related. Among the women, none of the cases were assessed as occupationally related. The reporting frequency from the health regions to the
Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority varied from 1.7 % to 5.1 %. Altogether 9 out of 11 likely cases and 5 out of 12 possible cases of occupationally related lung cancer were
granted injury compensation by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Authority.
INTERPRETATION In this study, we found that approximately 20 % of the cases of lung cancer in men are occupationally related, and that the underreporting of occupationally
related lung cancer appears to be considerable. The obligation of doctors to report to the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority should be made better known. Most likely, more
patients would have had their lung cancer verified as an occupational illness and could have received injury compensation if they had been aware of the opportunity to apply for
this.