Asbestos-related occupational lung diseases: role of the pneumology unit in screening and compensation

The application of new decrees concerning the protection of individuals aga inst sanitary risks linked to the various possible expositions to asbestos dusts is leading to a growing involvement of pulmonologists iia diagnosis p rocedures not only Sor active workers regularly examined via the occupation al medicine healthcare system, but also for who are no longer, the unemploy ed or retired previously exposed to asbestos fibres. The present chapter presents and comments the revised guide-lines about the compensation procedures for occupational diseases, and provides useful rec ommendations for establishing the records leading to their medical assessme nt. It emphasises the importance of a close cooperation between pulmonologi sts and radiologists in order to avoid radiation overdosing, which could in crease the risk of lung cancer, as much as possible.