Asbestosis and other Asbestos-Related Diseases
Mesotheilioma is perhaps the most deadly of the asbestos-related diseases, but others such as asbestosis are no less devastating. Excluding mesotheilioma, asbestos-related diseases cause ten thousand deaths in America every year.
Pleural Tissue Changes
Symptoms of asbestos exposure are insidious: by the time disease symptoms actually appear, the lungs have already suffered irreparable damage. The first results of asbestos exposure are changes in lung tissue and the pleura (the membranes which surround and support the lungs). None of these changes are malignant, but even so they can cause considerable pain and breathing difficulty.
- Pleural Plaques: irritation and inflammation caused by asbestos eventually leads to the formation of scar tissue (pleural plaques). The plaques are stiff and inflexible, and prevent the lungs functioning normally. Pain and difficulty breathing are the most common symptoms.
- Pleural Thickening: as a result of extensive scarring, pleural tissue may begin to thicken (this process is called fibrosis). As the thickening progresses more pain and breathing difficulty results.
- Pleural Effusion: as scar tissue builds up and pleural membranes thicken, fluid may also build up in the lungs and between lung membranes. This excess fluid can worsen pain, reduce lung function, and cause other symptoms such as fever.
Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory lung disease caused by heavy, repeated inhalation of tiny asbestos fibers. When inhaled, these tiny, needle-like fibers become trapped in the delicate tissue of the lungs. Over time—even the course of decades—they cause massive irritation and inflammation. Eventually the development of scar tissue, thickening of lung membranes, and resulting fluid build-up, prevents the lungs functioning effectively.
One of the most dangerous aspects of asbestosis is that irreparable lung damage has already by the time symptoms begin to appear. Usually, the first symptoms noted are breathing difficulties upon exertion. Over time (and repeated asbestos exposure) this may progress to difficulty breathing even when at rest. Two other common symptoms of the disease are painful breathing and dry coughing.
People with asbestosis may also suffer from complications such as fluid build-up in the lungs (pleural effusion). People with asbestosis are also at higher risk of developing lung cancer. In addition, the strain put on the lungs and heart may also lead to heart disease and other cardiovascular problems.
Ceasing the asbestos exposure can prevent the worsening of symptoms, but can’t cure the disease or repair the damage that has already been done. No current treatments for asbestosis can reverse the damage – they can only relieve pain and symptoms of the disease to improve quality of life for the affected person. For people with very severe disease a lung transplant may be attempted, as long as they are in good enough overall health to withstand the physical stress of surgery.
Lung Cancer
Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesotheilioma, but mesotheilioma is not the only known asbestos-related cancer. The connection between asbestos exposure and lung cancer was noted as early as 1925, and several studies have confirmed the link since then.
People who have a history of asbestos exposure have a lung cancer risk that is five times higher than people who have not been exposed. In addition, asbestosis increases the risk of lung cancer by a factor of seven (compared to someone without asbestosis).
Other studies have shown that smoking can increase the risk of lung cancer exponentially in people with a history of asbestos exposure. Smoking increases lung cancer risk by a factor of ten. For smokers with a history of asbestos exposure, the lung cancer risk is a staggering fifty times greater than a non-smoker who hasn’t been exposed to asbestos.
Other Cancers
Asbestos exposure is a risk factor for several other cancers. In particular are certain cancers which affect organs of the digestive and respiratory system – colorectal cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and cancer of the esophagus, gall bladder, and kidneys.
