Better Health Centre |+| Mesothelioma - Asbestos Lung Cancer

Mesothelioma – the asbestos related lung cancer – find out more.

For a good part of the last century, asbestos was looked upon as the miracle mineral and was used extensively in construction for insulation. As early as 1897, there were research studies that showed links to asbestos and serious lung damage to those exposed to it. 

These studies were either intentionally hidden or plain out ignored. But by 1931, the British government took heed, and began taking action to address the concerns about lung cancer incidents in those who worked regularly with asbestos. 

By the time the 1970's came around, the United States government began formulating safety rules for handling asbestos but by the time these rules took effect, it was too late for thousands and thousands of victims who had been exposed to asbestos in the workplace and home environments.

There are several effects exposure to asbestos can cause to the body including:

• lung scarring
• pleural plaques
• asbestosis
• lung cancer
• mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is related almost exclusively to asbestos exposure. It is cancer of the pleura, or the lining around the lungs, as opposed to the lungs themselves. 

Any type of exposure to asbestos at all, even if it was decades ago, can result in mesothelioma. Smoking increases this risk, as well.

Studies have proven that smokers who have been exposed to asbestos have a 50 - 90 percent higher chance of developing mesothelioma than that of smokers who have not been exposed. By contrast, a non-smoker who has been at some time exposed to asbestos has a five percent greater risk of developing this type of lung cancer than a person who has not been exposed.

Mesothelioma and other asbestos related lung cancers are commonly diagnosed by using a combination of the patients’ medical history, as well as technologies such as x-rays, CAT scans, MRIs, and biopsy and tissue sampling. 

People who know they have been exposed to asbestos should always have regular screenings for all types of lung abnormalities, including lung cancer. The incubation period between exposure and development of lung cancer can be up to 50 years in length.

Early diagnosis it the best chance of survival with any type of cancer, including lung cancer.  Most cases of asbestos related lung cancer or mesothelioma have a very grim outcome. 

In some more progressed cases, a patient with mesothelioma could very well be given the life expectancy of as little as 8 - 12 weeks, depending on all the mitigating factors. Mesothelioma seems to respond best to aggressive treatment methods that include combining surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy together. Surgery is seldom an option with mesothelioma because it is most generally diagnosed in its later stages.