Stages of Asbestos

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that can be woven to make fire-proof material and insulation. Exposure to asbestos increases the risk for lung cancer by four times, and if a person also smokes he is 50 times to 90 times more likely to develop lung cancer. Asbestos exposure also causes asbestosis, or scarring of the lungs, and mesothelioma, a cancer in the chest lining.

Asbestos-caused lung diseases most often affect miners, millers and manufacturers of asbestos, as well as construction and shipyard workers.

Asbestosis

• Asbestosis is scarring of the lungs (pulmonary fibrosis). Scarring decreases the lung tissue's elasticity and makes it more difficult to exchange gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. Early symptoms include chest pain, cough and shortness of breath, and as the disease advances, lung capacity becomes diminished and breathing becomes more difficult. Asbestosis progresses very slowly and it can take 10 to 40 years before you demonstrate symptoms.

  There is no cure for asbestosis but it can be treated by draining the fluid from the lungs through postural drainage, chest percussion or vibration. Aerosol medications may be prescribed to help thin the secretions, and patients often require oxygen therapy to help them breathe. A lung transplant is sometimes required.

Lung Cancer

• Lung cancer from asbestos exposure can take 20 years to develop. Malignant tumors grow on the bronchi covering in the lungs, expand through the surrounding tissues and eventually block air passages.

  Lung cancer is rarely detected early because symptoms often resemble other illnesses. Chemotherapy and radiation are employed to kill the cancer cells, but typically surgery is required as well. A triangular portion of the lung tissue can be removed (wedge resection) or an entire lobe (lobectomy). After that the entire lung is removed.

Mesothelioma

• Mesothelioma is form of cancer that's considered the "marker" for asbestos exposure. It affects the lining of the chest or abdominal wall but can spread to other parts of the body if left untreated. It can take 30 to 40 years to develop and early symptoms (shortness of breath, persistant cough or chest pain) resemble other illnesses, so it often goes undetected until the disease is untreatable.

  The two categories of mesothelioma are qualified by whether the cancer can be removed (resectable) or if it cannot (unresectable). Chemotherapy and/or radiation are often recommended regardless of the category since some of the cancer cells may be impossible to remove. Seventy-five percent of patients who develop mesothelioma die within one year of diagnosis.