Mesothelioma: Common Disease of Asbestos Exposure

We all heard of Asbestos and the horrible consequences it has in our health. Exposure to Asbestos is one of the most popular reasons for having a disease of a lung cancer. Asbestosis is “a form of lung disease (pneumoconiosis)” which causes interstitial fibrosis or scarring of the lungs. People who have exposure to asbestos will probably develop a lung cancer. Most cases take 15 to 20 years to develop after exposure. A long-term inflammation and scarring of the lungs due to asbestos are called Asbestosis. Asbestosis is caused by breathing in asbestos fibers. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, and chest pain. Complications may include lung cancer, mesothelioma, and pulmonary heart disease.

Mesothelioma disease from Asbestos Exposure

Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive form of cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart caused by Asbestos. It is very hard to diagnose, and many patients are misdiagnosed at first. Individuals who begin to experience mesothelioma symptoms should seek medical attention right away. The biggest concern mesothelioma is that can arise both from the visceral and parietal peritoneum. It is diagnosed in advanced stages in most cases, and it often takes considerable time to arrive at the correct diagnosis, as the mean symptoms-to-diagnosis time reported is 122 days.

The most frequently reported initial symptoms are:

• abdominal pain
• anorexia
• marked weight loss
• ascites

Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the thin lining surrounding the lung and this disease is almost always fatal, often within a few months of diagnosis.

Mesothelioma Threat to Health

The scary part about this illness is that mesothelioma has a much longer latency period compared with lung cancer (40 years versus 15-20 years), and mesothelioma is therefore likely to be found among workers who were first exposed to asbestos at an early age. Mesothelioma is always fatal. Mesothelioma has also been found in individuals who were exposed to asbestos only once decades earlier.

Exposure to asbestos has also been associated with an increased incidence of esophageal, kidney, laryngeal, pharyngeal, and buccal cavity cancers. As with other known chronic occupational diseases, a disease associated with asbestos generally appears about twenty years following the first occurrence of exposure.

Vancouver Asbestos Removal offers these services:

• Asbestos Testing
• Asbestos Removal
• Mold (Mould) Removal
• Lead Removal
• Insulation Removal & Replacement

Contact Vancouver Asbestos Removal for any Asbestos related issues.