Mosquito coil exposure associated with small cell lung cancer: A report of three cases

Zhang,Jie; Qi,Hui‑Wei; Sun,Yu‑Ping; Xie,Hui‑Kang; Zhou,Cai‑Cun

doi:10.3892/ol.2015.2922

Mosquito coil exposure associated with small cell lung cancer: A report of three cases

Authors:
- Jie Zhang
- Hui‑Wei Qi
- Yu‑Ping Sun
- Hui‑Kang Xie
- Cai‑Cun Zhou
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Affiliations: Department of Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China, Department of Pathology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
Published online on: February 2, 2015 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2015.2922
Pages: 1667-1671

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Abstract

Mosquito coils, which are commonly used as residential insecticides in Asia, contain different concentrations of octachlorodipropyl ether (S‑2) as a synergist or an active ingredient. As bis(chloromethyl) ether (BCME) is an extremely potent lung carcinogen that can be produced by the thermolytic degradation of S‑2, contact with mosquito coils is likely to expose individuals to a certain level of BCME, and therefore increase the risk of lung cancer. However, the significance of exposure is uncertain, as clinical and epidemiological studies concerning mosquito coil users and workers are lacking. The present study describes three cases of small cell lung cancer treated at the Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital that were likely to be the result of exposure to mosquito coils. All patients had worked in the mosquito coil manufacturing industry, with an mean occupational duration of 9.1 years, and presented with similar respiratory symptoms, such as cough and dyspnea. Upon diagnosis, no metastasis to other organs was identified in any of the cases. Subsequently, the three patients were treated with chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy in one case, however, all patients succumbed to the disease, with a mean overall survival time of 10.7 months. We conclude that contact with mosquito coils is likely to expose individuals to a level of S-2 that may increase the risk of SCLC.

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