JOEM: Mortality risk after a major cancer surgery is associated with preoperative exposure to air pollution: A Nationwide Cohort Study in South Korea (March 2024)-Mortality Risk After a Major Cancer Surgery Is Associated With Preoperative Exposure to Air Pollution: A Nationwide Cohort Study in South Korea

Mortality Risk After a Major Cancer Surgery Is Associated With Preoperative Exposure to Air Pollution: A Nationwide Cohort Study in South Korea

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The study conducted in South Korea aimed to investigate the association between preoperative exposure to air pollution and mortality risk following major cancer surgeries. The analysis included 244,766 patients undergoing surgeries between 2016 and 2020. The results showed that increases in sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide levels were linked to a 7% rise in 90-day mortality rates post-surgery. Moreover, increases in sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter 2.5 were associated with a 4%, 3%, and 1% rise in 1-year all-cause mortality rates, respectively. The study highlighted that exposure to air pollution could heighten the risk of mortality in post-surgery cancer patients. Air pollutants like sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter 2.5 can have detrimental effects on health, with exposure leading to respiratory issues and increased mortality. The findings indicated that patients exposed to higher levels of these pollutants faced elevated risks of short-term and long-term mortality after major cancer surgeries. Despite some limitations in the study, such as missing tumor stages and lifestyle information, the results underscored the importance of considering air pollution as a modifiable risk factor in enhancing patient outcomes following major cancer surgeries. Further research is needed to deepen the understanding of the relationship between different air pollutants and mortality outcomes in cancer surgery patients.

Keywords

South Korea

preoperative exposure

air pollution

mortality risk

major cancer surgeries

sulfur dioxide

carbon monoxide

particulate matter 2.5

respiratory issues

patient outcomes