Asbestos Cancer

Asbestos Cancer

Asbestos are silicate compounds containing silicon and oxygen atoms in their molecular structure. They occur naturally in the environment as fiber bundles that can be separated into durable, thin threads. These fibers are:

• Heat resistant
• Fire resistant
• Resistant to other chemicals
• Do not conduct electricity

Due to these properties asbestos is used widely in many industries especially building and construction industries for cement and plastic strengthening, for insulation, sound proofing of rooms, fireproofing and roofing.

Asbestos when released into the air can be swallowed or inhaled without knowing because they are fine particles and have no taste or smell. These fibers stick to the walls of our internal organs like lung, abdomen etc and over the time they get accumulated and lead to severe health problems.

Asbestos is a known human carcinogen and over exposure to asbestos results in a condition commonly known as asbestos cancer or mesothelioma. This is a rare and aggressive cancer that develops in the mesothelial cells lining the internal organs as well as the body cavities.

In most cases, this type of cancer is diagnosed only during the later stages. This is because of the long latency period of the disease. Due to this reason the life span of an inflicted person from the point of diagnosis to death is less than 24 months. Since the symptoms shown are common to those of other diseases it is also difficult to diagnose mesothelioma. The symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Chest pain
• Severe weight loss
• Severe and persistent coughing
• Fever or night sweating
• Breathlessness

There is no known cure for mesothelioma. But to make life easier or living with the cancer easier many of the affected patients wish to undergo whatever treatments available. Some of the treatment options for this condition are:

• Chemotherapy
• Radiation
• Surgery
• Immunotherapy
• Gene Therapy

The effects of asbestos on the human body were known to be harmful for years by the companies who employed workers to work in these hazardous conditions. But no precautions were taken to alleviate its effects on the workers because the companies knew of its long latency period of the disease as well. So they chose to make a great profit with a deadly product. Those at an increased risk of developing this deadly disease are those:

• Who work at an asbestos mine
• Who work at an asbestos mill
• Who work at shipyards
• Heating industry workers
• Construction industry  workers
• Producers of asbestos and its products
• Different trades men
• Families and friends of workers who work in asbestos related industries
• People who live close by such industries

The risk of developing this cancer is mainly influenced by two factors.

• The amount of asbestos to which the person is exposed
• The duration of the exposure

As the number of asbestos fibers in the body increases the likelihood of developing serious diseases also increase. But the worst and the best part of this deadly disease is that it is a 100% preventable disease.

Tagged as: Asbestos Cancer