Table of Contents
What disease can asbestos cause?
Asbestosis (as-bes-TOE-sis) is a chronic lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Prolonged exposure to these fibers can cause lung tissue scarring and shortness of breath. Asbestosis symptoms can range from mild to severe, and usually don’t appear until many years after continued exposure.
What are the three diseases related to asbestos?
Asbestos diseases are caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. Malignant asbestos diseases include mesothelioma, lung cancer, ovarian cancer and laryngeal cancer. Nonmalignant asbestos diseases include asbestosis, COPD, pleural plaques, pleural thickening, pleural effusion and atelectasis.
There are 4 main diseases caused by asbestos exposure:
- Pleural disease. Pleural plaques and pleural thickening are non-cancerous conditions affecting the outer lining of the lungs (the pleura).
- Mesothelioma.
- Asbestosis.
- Lung cancer.
How can you tell if you have lung cancer caused by asbestos?
Whether lung cancer is associated with asbestos exposure, smoking or another cause, it presents the same general symptoms:
- Persistent coughing.
- Shortness of breath.
- Chest discomfort or pain.
- Hoarseness or wheezing.
- Coughing up blood.
- Fatigue and loss of appetite.
- Swelling of the face or neck.
- Chronic respiratory infections.
What cancers are caused by asbestos?
Exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma (a cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen) and cancers of the lung, larynx, and ovary. Mesothelioma is the most common form of cancer associated with asbestos exposure, although the disease is relatively rare.
How can I tell if I have asbestos in my lungs?
Signs of Asbestos Exposure Affecting the Lungs
- Shortness of breath.
- Dry cough or wheezing.
- Crackling sound when breathing.
- Chest pain or tightness.
- Respiratory complications.
- Pleural effusion (accumulation of fluid in the space surrounding a lung)
- Pleural plaques.
- Pleural thickening.
How long does it take to get cancer from asbestos?
The time between initial asbestos exposure and mesothelioma diagnosis is typically between 20 and 50 years. It is very rare to have a latency period of less than 15 years, while the longest cases have been around 60 to 70 years.
Can a blood test detect asbestos?
There is no blood test currently available that determines if a person had asbestos exposure. However, some new blood tests show promise that they could detect mesothelioma years before a patient would exhibit symptoms.
How long can you live with mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma Survival Rate – The mesothelioma survival rates is typically 4–18 months after diagnosis, but there have been patients diagnosed with mesothelioma who have lived longer than 10 years. The current five-year survival rate for the disease is just 10 percent.