Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a progressive disease asbestosis cancer. disease of the lungs caused by inhaling asbestosis cancer asbestos fibers. The fibers penetrate lung tissue, irritating it and causing it to scar. The changes in lung tissue by scarring, although non-cancerous, are serious and potentially disabling. The scar tissue makes it harder for oxygen to penetrate into the alveoli, the tiny sacs in the lung where oxygen exchange takes place. Asbestosis victims make a characteristic crackling sound when they inhale. Asbestosis also causes a chronic shortness of breath and fatigue, so that many asbestosis victims require constant oxygen. There is no treatment that can reverse asbestosis.

Mesothelioma Cancer

Tumors of the mesothelium can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Since malignant mesothelioma is much more common than benign mesothelioma it is often simply called mesothelioma. Characteristics of a malignant tumor are that it has the ability to spread to other parts of the body, making it much more dangerous.

Malignant mesothelioma is divided into three types: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and mixed/biphasic. 50% to 70% of mesothelioma cases are epithelioid, which also has the best prognosis (outlook for survival). 7% to 20% are of the sarcomatoid type, and 20% to 35% are the mixed/biphasic type. Epithelioid affects the membranous tissue covering internal organs and other internal surfaces of the body. Sarcomatoid arises from supportive tissue, such as bone, muscles, cartilage, or fat. Biphasic mesothelioma has features of both epithelioid and sarcomatoid. The treatment options are the same for each type.

Approximately three-fourths of mesothelioma cases start in the chest cavity and are known as pleural mesothelioma. Another 10% to 20% begin in the abdomen and are called peritoneal mesothelioma. Those starting in the cavity around the heart, or pericardial mesothelioma, are very rare. The covering layer of the testicles is actually an outpouching of peritoneum into the scrotum. Mesothelioma that affects this covering of the testicles is quite uncommon.

Mesothelioma is still fairly rare. There are about 2,000 to 3,000 new cases per year in the United States. Most of the people who are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma are over fifty years old and is seen more often with people in their seventies, since they were exposed to asbestos in the 1940s-50s or earlier. Those who were exposed to asbestos in the 1960s-70s may be diagnosed in years to come. The disease attacks men 3 to 5 times more than women. Men are more likely then women to get this disease because men held more construction positions than women in past decades (before the women’s rights movement had taken place). Mesothelioma is also more common to Caucasians than in African Americans. Even though this disease is rare it is very serious. By the time it is diagnosed it is often in its advanced stages, making the outlook not as good as it is for other cancers that are found earlier. The average survival time is about 1 to 2 years after being diagnosed. Of course, survival rates are increasing due to advances in medical technology and new treatments that are being developed for mesothelioma.

New Cancer Resources

For many decades asbestos exposure has been known to cause asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma cancer. However, a battery of scientific studies linking asbestos to an assortment of other cancers and illnesses has failed to be addressed within the community of asbestos awareness.

Through extensive research efforts, the Asbestos and Mesothelioma Center has gathered comprehensive information from a multitude of clinical studies that have observed a link between asbestos exposure and a range of serious diseases. Please take a moment to visit our new asbestos cancer section, featuring scientific and clinically based information on a variety of cancers and diseases that may share a causal relationship with asbestos exposure.

Asbestosis

Asbestosis, also called pulmonary fibrosis and idiopathic interstitial pneumonitis, is a non-cancerous lung disease caused by asbestos exposure. The disease develops when asbestos fibers become lodged in the lungs, causing inflammation and triggering the development of scar tissue. This scar tissue stiffens the lungs, making it difficult for air to flow in and out of them and ultimately, inhibiting breathing and causing a serious cough.

Asbestosis usually doesn’t surface for at least a decade after asbestos exposure, and it is often misdiagnosed as lung cancer or other diseases. If you have been diagnosed with asbestosis, you may be at increased risk for other respiratory problems and are advised to avoid further asbestos exposure and to stop smoking.