There are two different forms of lung cancer. The first type is small cell lung cancer, which refers to the cancer cells in the lung that are small and round shaped. The second type is non-small cell lung cancer where the cancer cells are significantly larger. When cancer cells invade the body they can rapidly multiply forming tumours which in turn can spread to other internal organs.
How does asbestos cause lung cancer?
When airborne asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested tiny fibers attach themselves to the surface of the lung. Over a period of many years, in some cases several decades, these fibers cause irritation and inflammation to the surface of the lung which can result in the development of lung cancer at some stage in the future. Some people are unfortunately more likely to be at risk due to long periods of exposure to asbestos fibers. To put it into perspective, the longer someone has been exposed to asbestos, in particular friable asbestos which is the powdered crushed and dust type of asbestos, then the greater amount of asbestos fibers that can be inhaled.
Symptoms of lung cancer
Asbestos Lung cancer symptoms can vary from person to person. Some of the symptoms experienced are: frequent headaches, loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue. If these symptoms are occurring then you should see your local doctor for a check-up. Often, biopsies and tests are done before making a diagnosis.
Some of the more common tests used to detect lung cancer are: PET scans, CT scans, MRIs and chest x-rays.
Other methods of detection are from biopsies such as: needle aspiration, bronchoscopy, thoracentesis, thoracotomy, mediastinoscopy to name a few.
Treatments
Depending on the size of the tumour and where it is located, once asbestos lung cancer is detected, treatments are undertaken to remove it. There are two types of surgery that can be conducted -
Medical researchy and experimental trials are continually being conducted to discover new ways of destroying cancer cells. The future possibilities for killing cancer cells through simpler processes are improving day by day as new therapies are tested in clinical trials.
Chemotherapy
This will usually involve the intravenous use of drugs or in compressed pill form that are designed to target and kill rogue cells. However there are some unpleasant side effects with this type of treatment because while cancer cells divide rapidly so do some healthy cells.
Radiation.
Radiation therapy is most often used in combination with surgery and is used to kill cancer cells and therefore halt the spread of cancer.
The established type of radiation therapy used is external beam radiation where tumors are attacked with beams to kill cancer cells. Another type of radiation is brachytherapy which involves implanting radioactive rods within a tumor that sends a concentrated dose of radiation to the tumor area while avoiding damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
The information on this website is presented by asbestos-hazards.com and is for informational purposes only. It is not guaranteed to be completely up-to-date or accurate. No particular course or type of treatment for any person is suggested. All persons are advised to consult with a medical doctor concerning treatment of mesothelioma or any illness related to asbestos exposure.