Symptoms of asbestos mesothelioma disease

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Symptoms of asbestos mesothelioma disease

Conditions Related to Asbestos

Research has been able to connect more than a dozen different diseases with asbestos exposure. Many of these diseases, such as mesothelioma and also in lung cancer, have confirmed relationships with asbestos. Others, such as COPD and kidney cancer, are not directly caused by asbestos, but researchers suspect that exposure can increase a person's risk for developing it.

Asbestos-related diseases can range from mild and also benign to malignant and life-threatening. Malignant diseases tend to be less common than benign diseases, but some benign conditions are as serious as cancer related to asbestos. Asbestosis - a benign disease - causes more deaths per year between 1999 and 2001 compared to asbestos-induced gastrointestinal cancers during the same period.

Not everyone who is exposed to asbestos will get one of these diseases. However, exposure does indeed increase a person's lifetime risk of developing one or more of these conditions. This increased risk lasts for decades after exposure.

Diseases Associated With Asbestos

Asbestos is currently the only cause of the largest occupational cancer in the United States. This can directly cause four different malignancies, and it can increase a person's risk for several other people. Although the amount of any exposure can cause asbestos-related cancers, people who breathe or ingest large amounts of asbestos for a long period of time have the highest risk of this cancer.

Mesothelioma

With asbestos exposure responsible for approximately 70 to 80 percent of all cases, mesothelioma is a sign of asbestos-related cancer. This is also one of the most deadly asbestos related diseases, causing approximately 3,000 deaths every year in the United States alone. On average, the prognosis is less than one year from the time of diagnosis.

This cancer is named mesothelium, a thin protective layer where the tumor develops. This can appear in the lining of the lungs, stomach, heart or testes - each known as pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma and also testicular mesothelioma. Each type of mesothelioma is associated with a unique set of symptoms, but chest or abdominal pain and shortness of breath affect most patients, regardless of their specific diagnosis.

Lung cancer

Although asbestos is only responsible for a small proportion of all diagnoses of lung cancer, lung cancer is still one of the most fatal asbestos-related malignancies. It claims more than 155,870 people in the US in 2017, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Like mesothelioma, lung cancer is the most common in people who are exposed to large amounts of asbestos for long periods of time. Smokers exposed to asbestos also have a dramatic increased risk for developing small cell or small non-cell lung cancer above and also outside the risk of lung cancer in smokers who have never been exposed to asbestos.

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Ovarian cancer

The researchers confirmed the relationship between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer in 2009. Fiber - which has been repeatedly found in the ovaries of women exposed to asbestos - can reach organs through the bloodstream, lymph system or reproductive tract.

Laryngeal Cancer

Other malignant diseases related to asbestos are often laryngeal cancer. There is a proven relationship between fiber and disease. Other risk factors, such as smoking or drinking, are more likely to cause cancer. The risk increases with the length and intensity of one's exposure.

Cancer related to other asbestos

Other cancers that are loosely related to exposure to asbestos include esophageal cancer, gallbladder cancer, kidney cancer and throat cancer. Research has reported various success rates that link this cancer with asbestos exposure. Until research shows otherwise, asbestos might increase a person's risk for this cancer, but that is not a proven risk factor.

Disease Related to Benign Asbestos

Benign asbestos-related diseases are slightly more prevalent than asbestos-related malignancies. In one study of approximately 231 workers exposed to asbestos, 99 developed at least one benign lung disorder after exposure to asbestos.

This increased incidence may partly be related to the amount of exposure needed for conditions to develop. Although both benign and malignant diseases can develop after only one exposure to asbestos, malignant conditions are usually the result of years of cumulative exposure.

While cancer usually has a latent period for decades, non-cancerous diseases can arise in just a few years. One case study even revealed the presence of asbestos-related pleural effusion less than one year after patient exposure.

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a benign but potentially deadly lung disease characterized by severe scarring and inflammation. This prevents the lungs from developing and relaxing normally, causing symptoms such as shortness of breath and tightness in the chest.

Although benign, asbestosis can be very serious. For seven of the eight years between 2000 and 2007, asbestosis was the underlying cause of death or contributed to more than 1,400 people in the United States.

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Symptoms of Asbestosis and Asbestosis

Pleural effusion

Pleural effusion is a buildup of fluid between the pleural layers. They can develop independently of other diseases related to asbestos, but they are often a symptom of late-stage mesothelioma or non-mesothelioma bronchogenic carcinoma. Alone, they are not directly life threatening, but if accumulated over time, they can cause severe pain or interfere with regular breathing. Even after treatment, they tend to recur unless powdered pleurodesis is performed. It should be noted that trials of pleurodesis are not always successful in preventing the reaccumulation of cancerous fluid surrounding the lungs.

Benign asbestos pleural effusion

Pleural plaques

Pleural plaques appear quite often especially after exposure to asbestos. This buildup of pleural calcification is not considered a severe health problem. If they become very thick, they may make breathing painful, but they are usually not a life-threatening condition unless there is a malignant change from plaque to an invasive malignant process.

Pleural Plaques Caused by Asbestos

Pleurisy

Asbestos fibers can cause excessive inflammation of the pleura, which is known as pleurisy, pleurisy or pleuritic chest pain. The inflamed surface becomes rough and also rubs against each other, causing sharp pain in the chest or shoulders. Pain is often worse when the patient is breathing, coughing or moving. Pleurisy can also be accompanied by pleural effusion.

Pleural Thickening Diffuse

Exposure to asbestos can cause diffuse pleural thickening, where lesions appear in the pleural layer and also cause thickened areas. Some standards require thickening in a quarter of the pleura to officially qualify as diffuse pleural thickening, while other standards only require thickening in only 8 cm from the pleura. This condition often decreases the patient's lung function. In rare cases, it can be fatal if it becomes severe enough to prevent adequate air flow to the lungs.

Pleural Thickening Diffuse

Atelactasis

Atelactasis, which is defined as inflation below the lungs when inhaled, has been associated with recognized asbestos-related abnormalities. This rather rare disease is known as asbestos psuedotumor or Blesovsky Syndrome. This is a less common asbestos condition that often accompanies pleural thickening. In this inflammatory condition, scar tissue contracts and causes the pleural layer to fold into the lungs. Although benign, atelectasis may look like malignancy in imaging scanning. The doctor can request a biopsy to distinguish this benign condition from cancer related to asbestos.

Atelectasis Caused by Asbestos

COPD

Although exposure to asbestos does not directly cause Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), exposure to asbestos can increase a person's risk of developing this condition. Patients with COPD may also have weaker lungs that are more susceptible to additional asbestos-related diseases.

In some cases, patients can suffer from benign and malignant diseases. It is not uncommon for patients to be diagnosed with several asbestos-related diseases in their lifetime. Therefore, anyone who has been exposed to asbestos must register for routine health checks for the rest of their lives.