Occupational asbestos exposure and lung cancer: contemporary research trends, exploratory genetic evidence, and global burden from 1990 to 2021

Background

Asbestos exposure is a confirmed risk factor for lung cancer, but its causal relationship with different subtypes and its global disease burden remain poorly characterized. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the association between occupational asbestos exposure and lung cancer through multidimensional analysis, integrating bibliometric analysis, mendelian randomization, and Global Burden of Disease data to identify research trends, explore potential subtype-specific associations, and characterize global disease burden patterns.