Diseases Linked to Asbestos
Most asbestos-related
illnesses have a long latency period. This means that the illness may not
surface for as long as 10 to 50 years after asbestos exposure. The four most
common diseases linked to asbestos exposure are mesothelioma, lung cancer,
asbestosis and pleural plaques.
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare form
of cancer that most often occurs in the thin membrane lining of the lungs,
chest and abdomen. Each year, approximately 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with
mesothelioma.
Lung
Cancer
Lung cancer causes the
largest number of asbestos-related deaths. The occurrence of lung cancer in
people who are or were directly involved in the mining, milling, manufacturing
and use of asbestos and related products is significantly higher compared to
the general population.
Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a chronic, non-cancerous respiratory disease.
Asbestos fibers become lodged in the lungs and aggravate lung tissues, causing
them to scar. The disease may cause cardiac failure in its advanced stages.
Those suffering from asbestos-related cancers may also have asbestosis;
however, asbestosis does not develop into cancer.
Pleural Plaques
Pleural plaques are
bilateral areas of fibrosis present on the inner surface of the rib cage and
the diaphragm that are often partly calcified. Pleural plaques by themselves
are benign and cannot change into cancer. About one-third to half of those
exposed to asbestos will likely develop calcified pleural plaques, though not
all asbestos-exposed workers develop pleural plaques
Mesothelioma Symptoms
Mesothelioma symptoms can
take up to 30 or even 40 years to appear, making a mesothelioma diagnosis very
difficult to pinpoint. Nearly all the diagnosed mesothelioma cases can be
linked to asbestos, which can lodge in the lining of the lungs and abdomen.
As a cancer, mesothelioma
has a long latency period, meaning that the symptoms of mesothelioma typically
do not appear until years after the asbestos exposure has occurred.
Navigating Diagnosis
It is often difficult to
diagnose mesothelioma since its symptoms are often similar to those of other,
less serious conditions.
Your doctor’s first step
will likely be to collect a full medical and asbestos exposure history, along
with a thorough physical examination. This might include a chest X-ray, which,
if mesothelioma is present, will reveal thickening of the mesothelium or
pleura.
As a follow-up, your doctor
may order a CT scan or MRI, which will identify any abnormal fluid buildup
around your organs. In the case of pleural mesothelioma, the most common form
of the disease, your doctor will scan your lungs.
If your physician detects a
large amount of fluid, he or she may drain it so he can examine the cells to
see if they are malignant, or cancerous. If the cells are malignant, your
doctor will likely order a biopsy to confirm the mesothelioma diagnosis. This
involves removing some tissue from the inner tumor so a pathologist can look at
it under a microscope.
For cancer of the abdomen,
your doctor may instead perform a laparoscopy, which involves making a small
opening in your abdomen and inserting a laparoscope to take tissue samples.
These samples will enable your doctor to determine if your symptoms are related
to mesothelioma.
We encourage you to consult
your physician or the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation for questions
regarding your mesothelioma diagnosis.
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