Korea was one of the major consumers of asbestos in the late 1900s, and asbestos-related disease patients have been reported continuously to date, owing to long disease latency. Several studies have been conducted to predict the future incidence of malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer in Korea, but little is understood about the latency time. Therefore, the aim of this study is to estimate the latency period of malignant mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer in Korea and its determinants. We obtained information from the Environmental Health Centers for Asbestos in Korea on the history of asbestos exposure and demographic characteristics of 1933 patients with malignant mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer. In our study, the latency periods for malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer were 33.7 and 40.1 years, respectively. Regardless of the disease type, those with a history of exposure related to the production of asbestos-containing products or asbestos factories had the shortest latency period. In addition, we observed that those who worked in or lived near asbestos mines tended to have a relatively long disease latency. Smoking was associated with shorter latency, but no linear relationship between the lifetime smoking amount (expressed in pack years) and latent time was observed. In addition, the age of initial exposure showed a negative linear association with the latency period for mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Malignant mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer are typically associated with a poor prognosis. However, it has been observed that some patients with these cancers survive significantly longer than the average survival period. While many preliminary studies have investigated factors influencing patient survival, the specific impact of asbestos exposure has not been thoroughly explored. We followed up with 546 patients with malignant mesothelioma and 902 patients with asbestos-related lung cancer, all identified as asbestos victims between 2009 and 2021. In both malignant mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer, patients with occupational asbestos exposure exhibited not only shorter median survival times but also lower 3- and 5-year survival rates compared to those with environmental exposure. Additionally, a longer duration of occupational exposure and closer proximity to the source of asbestos were linked to shorter survival times and lower survival rates. Among the patients with occupational asbestos exposure, the highest hazard ratios (HRs) were observed in those who worked in the production of asbestos-containing products across both cancer types. In contrast, significant HRs were only noted in mesothelioma patients who lived near asbestos industries, slate houses, and redevelopment areas, within the environmentally exposed group.