Programs of prevention in subjects exposed to asbestos: results of the experiments in process.

Programs of prevention concerning the populations exposed or having been ex posed to asbestos include on the one hand specific programs of medical surv eillance and on the other hand interventions of primary prevention. The lat ter were essentially anti-smoking campaigns and chemo-prevention trial of l ung cancer through taking of vitamin A derivatives. In the first part of this review. the results elf the experiments of the me dical follow, up organized in France and abroad will be shown. These studie s allow particularly to appraise both the usual latency of appearance of lu ng pathologies clue to asbestos and the contribution of thoracic scanograph y in their diagnosis The interest of the new techniques, such as the autofl uorescence fiberscopy, is tackled too. The studies on primary prevention, detailed in the second part, underline t he necessity to stop of tobacco consumption among the smokers exposed to as bestos. Moreover this study concludes that the chemo-prevention of lung cancer thro ugh vitamin A derivatives is not yet effective. Some general principles which may be useful to the setting up programs of p revention are put forward in conclusion.