Asbestos, Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer

Asbestos Poisoning

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that appears to be frequently caused by long term asbestos exposure. About 4 of every 5 mesothelioma patients have a history of exposure to asbestos, often during the course of their occupations. Jobs related to mining, milling, manufacturing, and installation or removal of asbestos products all have a higher percentage of mesothelioma poisoning cases than other industries.

Mesothelioma has also been diagnosed, however, in people who have never worked around asbestos. Between two thousand and three thousand case of mesothelioma are reported in the United States each year.

The picture on the right is an x-ray showing the presence of mesothelioma in the lungs.

Many people think of mesothelioma as a lung disease. Actually, mesothelioma develops in the protective lining that covers most of the body's organs. For more specific information on this types, symptoms, and treatment of this disease, please click on mesothelioma.

It's unclear at present why there's a connection between mesothelioma and asbestos. Itis known, howevere, that asbestos is made up of strong flexible fibers that occur naturally as minerals. The fibers can be woven together. It was widely used in the mid-20th century in building and construction. It has a fire-retardant quality that made it popular as insulation, but it has also been used in cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, and textiles.

Asbestos fibers are tiny and can float in the air, where construction workers would breathe them in. They resist the normal immune response of the human body. In fact, when asbestosis is present in the lungs, the immune system produces a substance that actually damages and scars the lung tissue. During the passage of time, scarring covers more of the lungs tissues, and lung function becomes compromised.

This condition is known as asbestosis. Asbestosis is non-cancerous, but it is nonetheless a serious lung disease. In addition to mesothelioma and asbestosis, exposure to asbestos raises your risk of lung cancer, kidney cancer and cancer of the larynx.

Mesothelioma and smoking While it has been proven that there's a connection between smoking and lung cancer, there's been no research indicating a relationship between smoking and mesothelioma. There is a much more pronounced connection between mesothelioma and asbestos exposure.

There's also reason to believe mesothelioma is more likely to occur to family members and those living with someone who has had a history of asbestos exposure. The most likely explanation is that people working around asbestos bring home asbestos fibers on their clothes and in their hair.

Since the 1970's, when the dangers of asbestos exposure became known, the federal government has mandated many stringent safety rules for those who work around asbestos. Anyone who follows the safety rules and regulations need not fear asbestosis or mesothelioma. The same goes for their family, loved ones and friends.

Look for more information on asbestosis and mesothelioma by typing a relevant keyword or phrase in the search box below.

 

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