Mesothelioma Advisor » mesothelioma patients

Future Impact Of Mesothelioma And Asbestosis

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:56:00 +0000

The lung diseases asbestosis and mesothelioma have been proven for decades to be a result of asbestos exposure. Yet, asbestos continues to be mined, and employers still fail to protect workers from the dangers of asbestos. Faint warnings to the public have been made barely audible, and a deadly global health epidemic is looming on the horizon.

Asbestosis and mesothelioma are the subjects of 21st century international reports warning international officials, advocacy workers, and the general public of an impending epidemic of these two devastating diseases. Asbestosis and mesothelioma, which are caused by exposure to asbestos, take decades to surface symptoms, and the retired workers of yesteryear’s thriving asbestos industries are beginning to suffer from asbestos related diseases today.

In countries like Brazil, workers suffered decades under corrupt politics, medical care was discouraged, workers were randomly dismissed from employment, and diagnostic tests were not made available to support any identification or claim for asbestosis or mesothelioma. It is only recently that unions protecting workers have surfaced, but for thousands of asbestos workers, it is too late to avoid succumbing to the harsh lung disease of asbestosis or the fatal cancer of mesothelioma.

As workers and innocent home dwellers continue to be exposed to asbestos, the death estimates due to asbestos related diseases will continue to reach into the next half century. Factories in China spew asbestos from their factories into neighboring cities. In Africa, a state of emergency has been requested in asbestos filled territories where hundred-mile stretches are filled with residents living, working and sleeping while surrounded by airborne asbestos fibers.

In India, the European Asbestos Removal Association (EARA) issued a 2008 report titled ‘India’s Asbestos Time Bomb’ which warns of India’s future burden of caring for tens of thousands of asbestosis and mesothelioma patients as a result of India’s infatuation with asbestos products. In this asbestos removal report, comparisons are made between the export levels of India and the UK. In just two decades, India’s asbestos imports surpassed the levels that the UK used in their entire industrial history. The UK is now facing record levels of occupational disease, with thousands dying from mesothelioma every year. Despite the UK’s forewarning of the future, India continues to import massive tons of asbestos products annually, and corporations with significant monetary interest encourage unsuspecting consumers to embrace the use of asbestos products.

Even with indiscriminate medical records that deflate the actual deaths due to asbestosis and mesothelioma, the World Health Organization estimates that the two diseases will be responsible for 90,000 deaths around the world in a single year. As long as asbestos continues to be mined, imported and exported – the numbers will continue to rise over the next century.

Asbestosis and mesothelioma are not diseases that are easily recognized by physicians or the lay citizen. The public must be made aware of the dangers of working with, and living with, asbestos made products. Scientists and manufacturers must race to discover the economic answer to replace asbestos products with a safer alternative. But with or without change, the next decade will surface the consequences of haphazard occupational healthcare as the children of tomorrow care for the asbestos workers of today.

Published by Mesotheliom Advisor

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Symptoms Of Asbestos Exposure

admin — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:22:00 +0000

Symptoms Of Asbestos Related Diseases

We are all exposed to low levels of asbestos in the air we breathe. These levels range from 0.00001 to 0.0001 fibers per milliliter of air and generally are highest in cities and industrial areas.

It is known that breathing asbestos can increase the risk of cancer in people. There are two types of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos: lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the thin lining surrounding the lung (pleural membrane) or abdominal cavity (the peritoneum). Cancer from asbestos does not develop immediately, but shows up after a number of years. Studies of workers also suggest that breathing asbestos can increase chances of getting cancer in other parts of the body (stomach, intestines, esophagus, pancreas, and kidneys), but this is less certain. Early identification and treatment of any cancer can increase an individual’s quality of life and survival.

People working in industries that make or use asbestos products or who are involved in asbestos mining may be exposed to high levels of asbestos. People living near these industries may also be exposed to high levels of asbestos in air.

Asbestos fibers may be released into the air by the disturbance of asbestos-containing material during product use, demolition work, building or home maintenance, repair, and remodeling. In general, exposure may occur only when the asbestos-containing material is disturbed in some way to release particles and fibers into the air.

Symptoms

Asbestos mainly affects the lungs and the membrane that surrounds the lungs. Breathing high levels of asbestos fibers for a long time may result in scar-like tissue in the lungs and in the pleural membrane (lining) that surrounds the lung. This disease is called asbestosis and is usually found in workers exposed to asbestos, but not in the general public. People with asbestosis have difficulty breathing, often a cough, and in severe cases heart enlargement. Asbestosis is a serious disease and can eventually lead to disability and death.

Breathing lower levels of asbestos may result in changes called plaques in the pleural membranes. Pleural plaques can occur in workers and sometimes in people living in areas with high environmental levels of asbestos. Effects on breathing from pleural plaques alone are not usually serious, but higher exposure can lead to a thickening of the pleural membrane that may restrict breathing.

Low levels of asbestos fibers can be measured in urine, feces, mucus, or lung washings of the general public. Higher than average levels of asbestos fibers in tissue can confirm exposure but not determine whether you will experience any health effects.

A thorough history, physical exam, and diagnostic tests are needed to evaluate asbestos-related disease. Chest x-rays are the best screening tool to identify lung changes resulting from asbestos exposure. Lung function tests and CAT scans also assist in the diagnosis of asbestos-related disease.

Published by Mesothelioma Advisor

By: Melvin H.Gill -

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Mesothelioma is a rare disease that is strongly related to exposure to Asbestos. Find out about Asbestos Hazards at www.ewhy.info

Facts About Asbestos Causing Mesothelioma

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:22:00 +0000

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Exposure to Asbestos is the most common cause of mesothelioma. Almost all cases of mesothelioma are caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a natural mineral which is mined from rock found in many countries around the world. It is made up of tiny fibres as strong as steel, woven like cotton and highly resistant to heat, chemicals and electricity.

The first definite link between mesothelioma and asbestos was made in the 1960s. At that time, asbestos was very widely used in the manufacture of insulation materials, such as insulation board and building materials, including cement.

When asbestos is damaged or disturbed, it releases tiny fibres, almost invisible to the naked eye, which, when airborne can breathed in, and cannot be exhaled or coughed out. Once the fibres are in the lungs, the body’s defence mechanism tries to break them down and remove them, which leads to inflammation in the lung’s tissue.

Asbestos fibres can also penetrate through the lung tissue to settle in the pleura (the membrane around the lung). Over many years they can cause asbestosis, mesothelioma or other lung diseases to develop. Asbestos fibres can also be swallowed, and some of the fibres become lodged in the digestive system. They will then move into the membrane that lines the abdomen (the peritoneum), where they cause inflammation.

Those individuals most likely to have been exposed to asbestos will include: construction workers, boilermakers, construction workers, demolition workers, electricians, plumbers, shipbuilders etc. Family members of those who worked with asbestos and unwittingly brought asbestos dust home on their clothes, will also be at risk and have also been known to developed mesothelioma.

There are three types of asbestos and these are: blue, brown and white. The blue and brown asbestos types are most commonly linked with mesothelioma, and are now very rarely used. However, although originally, white asbestos was thought not to be dangerous, recent studies have shown that it is also harmful.

Although by 1999 the importation and use of all asbestos was banned, and because mesothelioma develops so slowly, it is estimated that by the year 2015, approximately 3000 people will have been diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. After this time, the number of people who develop mesothelioma will begin to fall annually.

Mesothelioma does not typically develop for many years after the initial exposure to asbestos. Although it can take anything from 10 to 60 years, the average time is around 30 to 40 years after asbestos exposure.

Occasionally, mesothelioma will be diagnosed in people who have never had any history of asbestos exposure. Other causes of the disease are to date not fully understood, but in rare cases mesothelioma has been linked to radiation exposure.

Research has found no evidence that smoking increases an individual’s risk of developing mesothelioma. It is understood that exposure to other building materials, for example fibreglass also will not increase the risk. Mesothelioma is not a contagious disease and therefore cannot be passed on to other individuals. Family members are only at risk when in contact with asbestos particles.

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Asbestos Related Diseases

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:52:00 +0000

Mesothelioma is a rare and extremely fatal type of lung / abdomen cancer and is almost always caused due to severe asbestos exposure.

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Asbestos Exposure and Related Disease
Asbestos has been in use from the 1800s, but industrialization led to its overuse from the 1940s to the 80′s.

Asbestos particles when inhaled, lodge firmly into the lung tissues, causing disease over time.

Constant and prolonged exposure to asbestos leads to a variety of diseases including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Of these, mesothelioma is the most fatal, always leading to death.

What Exactly Is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the membrane lining the lungs or abdomen. It is a rare cancer and is almost always caused due to asbestos inhalation.

Mesothelioma takes approximately 30 to 40 years to develop and show its effects. This is the reason why mesothelioma is seen in older patients, mostly male. It is one of the most fatal, aggressive and painful cancers.

Types of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is mostly restricted to the lungs, but in rare cases it also occurs in the peritoneum when inhaled asbestos fibers reach the stomach or bowel.

Mesothelioma is of two types – Pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma.

Pleural mesothelioma affects the pleura (lining of the lungs). Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the peritoneum (lining of the abdominal cavity).

Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Those suffering from mesothelioma will have one or more of the following symptoms.

— Shortness of breath which keeps on increasing as the disease progresses
— Extreme difficulty in breathing due to lung compression caused by the disease
— Fluid surrounding the lungs
— Unexplained fatigue
— Constant pain in the chest which ranges from mild to severe
— Traces of blood in the sputum
— Unexplained sudden abdominal swelling and pain
— Unexplained weight loss

Who is at Risk?
Since mesothelioma takes approximately 30 to 40 years to develop and show its effects, persons being diagnosed today have been affected by asbestos exposure in the 60′s and 70′s.

Almost all these persons have had jobs involving asbestos and a prolonged inhalation of asbestos fibers. Since there were no safety guidelines then, it is also possible that relatives and friends too are affected due to inhalation of these fibers from the clothing, skin and hair of these workers.

Following is a list of persons at maximum risk of mesothelioma.

— Construction workers
— Those involved in building renovation
— Those involved in ship building

– Sailors on ships from WWII through the Vietnam War

– Those involved in ship breaking

There is no firm evidence linking smoking to mesothelioma, as found in cases of lung cancer.

Diagnosing Mesothelioma
A mesothelioma diagnosis is usually done by doing a biopsy of the affected tissues. A trained pathologist does a definitive microscopic examination of the tissue to determine the rate of growth and virulence of the tumor.

After this, an X-ray or MRI scan will be required to locate the exact areas that are affected and possible treatment.

Is Asbestos related Mesothelioma Serious?
Yes. Asbestos related mesothelioma is almost always fatal. By the time mesothelioma is diagnosed, in almost all the cases it would have spread to incurable levels. It is also noticed that mesothelioma is not as sensitive to radiation or chemotherapy as many other cancers are.

The bad news is the majority of mesothelioma cases are diagnosed when it is too late to save the patient, and in a sad number of them, the mesothelioma patient lives an agonizing 12 to 18 months before he succumbs to the disease.

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