Asbestos is a naturally-occurring fibrous mineral, known to Greeks as miracle mineral due to its durability, flexibility, and resistance to heat and chemical damages. The six most common are amosite, chrysotile, crocidolite, and the fibrous varieties of tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite. It was used to make lamp wicks and was also woven into the clothing worn by the slaves.The Greeks first realized that something was wrong with asbestos. The use of asbestos continued through history and became a very popular product during the industrial revolution in the 1860’s.In 1879 the first development of an asbestos mine was put into motion.
The very first commercial asbestos mine was built in 1879 at Quebec. In the past, asbestos was added to various products such as insulation to increase fire resistant properties. It can be in the vinyl floor tiles, ceiling tiles, roof shingles, insulation, pipe cement, and joint compound. In 1906, for the first time, a death was documented as caused by asbestos exposure.Most of the asbestos related diseases have a very long latency period. However, the inhalation of asbestos is the cause of various serious illnesses.Therefore, the use of this material has been banned in many countries due to its cancer causing quality.
The person either inhales the Asbestos fibers, or the fibers enter the skin. Experts consider asbestosis as an irreversible lung scarring that can be fatal. Asbestos was discovered to be a health hazard back in the 1960′ and is said to be the main cause of plural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos fibers or asbestos dust. This puts employees in extreme danger as these fibers can be inhaled and embedded into the membranes that line the lungs. Unfortunately, mesothelioma is an aggressive and usually fatal type of cancer that results from asbestos exposure. Other types of asbestos-related cancer are larynx cancer; stomach cancer; and cancer to the rectum, colon, and ovaries.AsbestosisThis is a type of pneumoconiosis.
Making a mesothelioma diagnosis is hard because of the fact that the symptoms of mesothelioma are also similar to the symptoms of other diseases or conditions. It takes twenty to fifty years before the symptoms of mesothelioma become noticeable.
The recovery percentages decrease the more advanced it becomes.Small Cell Lung Cancer only has two stages: mild and severe. One of the fatal types of mesothelioma is Peritoneal Mesothelioma in which the cancerous cells attack the lining of the abdomen called Peritoneum.
A mesothelioma diagnosis is very difficult and it involves a series of tests to establish whether the illness is indeed mesothelioma. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient’s medical history, including any history of asbestos exposure. A history of exposure to asbestos may increase clinical suspicion for mesothelioma.A physical examination is performed, followed by chest X-ray and often lung function tests. The tests used to narrow down your condition might include an X-ray of the chest cavity to check for thickening of the mesothelium, which indicates this lining has been damaged by asbestos exposure. The patient shall be subjected to various exams like x-ray, lung function tests, CT scan, MRI, aspiration of chest fluid like pleural tap or chest drain. These pictures are viewed on a monitor and can also be printed.A biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma.
Like all forms of malignant cancers, the overall cost of mesothelioma treatment is very expensive. In stage II, the cancer spreads beyond the chest lining to lymph nodes and in stage III it spreads into chest wall, center of the chest, heart, through the diaphragm or abdominal lining, etc. The combination of radiation and chemotherapy has proved to be successful in treating 74.6% patients.Radiation treatment is given to the patients who can tolerate a radical surgery.
People in factories or offices who work under the asbestos roof or people who manufacture asbestos sheets or asbestos related products tend to get this disease. The most commonly affected trades were dockers, roofers, plumbers, electricians, shipyard workers and power station workers. There are millions of people who claim that they will suffer from asbestos-related lung disease who have never had a symptom. In 2006, an estimated 162,460 deaths resulted from lung cancer, and of those deaths, an estimated 79,560 of those were women. In 1968, there were 153 deaths caused by mesothelioma but in 2003, statistics shows 1874 deaths.
For over 5 decades people worked with and were exposed to asbestos on an everyday occurrence unaware of the harmful fibres within asbestos products they were being exposed too. They found that, on average, there was a 2% lower risk of lung cancer associated with each glass of red wine a subject drank per month. The mesothelioma law will compensate for pain, suffering, medical costs and other related expenses and it will also cover the possible loss of an income.