Asbestos Lung Cancer

 

Asbestos lung cancer or Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos.

Therefore it is also termed as Asbestos lung cancer.

The origin of this disease is explained as the development of malignant cancer cells in the protective covering of the internal body organs the mesothelium and sometimes also in the pericardium the protective covering of the heart and the peritoneum the lining of the abdominal cavity.

Earlier this asbestos lung cancer or mesothelioma was quite uncommon but nowadays it is no longer rare. The fact is it is very difficult to diagnose at early stage and also proved to be not much responsive to its treatment procedures and therapy. This is considered the most dangerous of all the asbestos related diseases. If you would like more information about Mesothelioma please check out the Fight Mesothelioma website.

Causes of Mesothelioma or Asbestos Lung Cancer

The main cause of asbestos lung cancer is the prior exposure of people to the asbestos. The exposure may be environmental either at work place or due to secondary exposure which includes people involved in washing of clothes of family member whose work place comprises the asbestos exposure or another minor cause may be people participating house renovation using asbestos cement products.

Though there is no evidence showing the association between asbestos lung cancer and smoking but it is highly recommended to avoid smoking or quit smoking if its already a habit.

Exposure to thorium dioxide (Thorotrast) is also a minor cause for developing pleural and peritoneal mesotheliomas reports say. The usage of this material in the past was in certain x-ray tests but however recent procedures do not use this material.

Studies reveal that majority of the asbestos lung cancer patients die after 15 years of the onset of exposure. It is reported that almost 6% of asbestos workers die due to this disease.

Symptoms of Asbestos Lung Cancer or Mesothelioma

The major drawback of this asbestos lung cancer is that it shows no symptoms at early stage of the disease. If by chance any non specific symptoms occur people many a times mistake them for another ailment related signs. Most of the time the symptoms occur just 2-3 months before the disease is diagnosed. Very few cases are said to show symptoms for 6 months prior to their diagnosis.

The most common symptoms experienced by patients with pleural mesothelioma are as follows:

  • Pain in the lower back or at the side of the chest
  • Fever
  • Sweating
  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Difficulty in swallowing
  • Cough
  • Weight loss

Apart from the above mentioned the other symptoms include hoarseness, coughing up blood, swelling of the face and arms, muscle weakness, and sensory loss.

The most common symptoms experienced by patients with peritoneal mesothelioma are as follows:

  • Abdominal (belly) pain
  • Weight loss
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting.
  • Hernia ,fluid in the abdominal cavity
  • A mass in the abdomen.

So the best way to prevent the disease is to avoid the exposure to asbestos which is always and most important cause of asbestos lung cancer or mesothelioma lung cancer.