Asbestosis is caused by exposure to Asbestos, and prolonged exposure can lead to lung cancer, mesothelioma and non-malignant lung and pleural disorders. Although industries traditionally connected with Asbestos are primarily at risk, cases with very little apparent exposure to Asbestos have been recorded. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer which is often diagnosed up to thirty or more years after the original contamination. Early diagnosis is essential to prolong life expectancy, yet symptoms are not easy to diagnose specifically as Mesothelioma. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a productive peristent cough and tightness of the chest often accompanied by a crackling sound whilst inhaling. Treatment is primarily a combination of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy depending on the location and status of the malignancy.
If you feel that you could be at risk, or you know of someone that is, then a doctor's examination is essential as soon as possible.
Saturday 11 April 2009
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9 out of every 10 cases of mesothelioma have history of asbestos exposure. Although the link between asbestos and mesothelioma had been established only in the 1960s, as early as 1st century AD Greeks already noticed that slaves who worked in asbestos cloth weaving exhibited sickness of the lung.
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