Mesothelioma Asbestos Cancer

Mesothelioma asbestos cancer is steadily on the rise and will probably continue to claim lives for the next several decades. So many people are surprised about this, assuming that the reduction in asbestos containing materials used since the late 70s came to a reduction in cases of mesothelioma and other types of asbestos type cancers. Sadly, this isn’t the case.

The experts predict that we will have a minimum of two more decades during which mesothelioma cancer diagnoses will continue to go up rather than down. There is also a concern that as more property that contain asbestos are renovated or destroyed, there may be a new rise in cases.












Different types of asbestos mesothelioma diseases

(1) Malignant pleural mesothelioma, this is the most dangerous form of the cancer and the most common. About two of every three cases of mesothelioma diagnosed are pleural mesothelioma. It will attacks the lining of the lungs and the pleural area of the chest wall cavity. Over a period of time the pleural lining thickens and the lungs begin to retain excess fluid, leading to breathing difficulty.

(2) Esophageal mesothelioma cancer. This is the least common form of mesothelioma, but still very dangerous and usually fatal. This form of mesothelioma attacks the oesophagus and sometimes the larynx of people. This asbestos cancer can attack the cells that line the inside of the oesophagus or the gland tissue in the lower area of the oesophagus.

(3) Benign mesothelioma cancer is very rare, this is the formation of a tumour in a specific area of the lungs. This is one of the only mesothelioma asbestos diseases that can be treated by surgical removal of the tumour. However, doctors must keep a very close eye on anyone who has developed benign mesothelioma because so many of these patients later develop other, more dangerous types of asbestos related cancers.


When you have been exposed to asbestos over long periods of time, you must talk to your doctor. Get regular check ups to make sure you catch early symptoms of asbestos cancers. With so many different types of mesothelioma asbestos diseases, it’s imperative that you stay informed and watch for the early signs of illness.

Asbestos

When asbestos is mentioned, it conjures up a genuine fear in people of an irreversible terrible damage to health. We now recognise that many deaths are caused to people working with asbestos years ago, and the risk of catching an asbestos related disease continues.

Asbestos was so widely used in the 20th century. We can be sure that the majority of buildings built before 1985 probably have some asbestos in them. The use of asbestos in building products was not finally stopped until 1999 we can only be confident a building is asbestos free if it was built after 2000.

Anyone working on a property built prior to 2000 might be at danger of being exposed to asbestos fibres unless a check for asbestos is carried out before any work starts.

Regulations to manage asbestos were introduced to reduce the risk. It states that all non domestic buildings must be surveyed for asbestos and when found, a management plan must be put in place. The survey must be made available to everyone who needs to see it, such as builders etc or others who may disturb the building fabric.

People generally believe that products containing asbestos are always releasing dangerous fibres and therefore as soon as they are recognised they should be dealt with. This would actually be counter productive. As soon as the fibres are disturbed, no matter how careful the operative is, it will release a larger quantity of fibres than if the material was left untouched.

Most asbestos containing materials do have a long life. So if left untouched, they could be in place for another 60 or more years. If they are removed in the short term, because the danger has been exaggerated, In the short term a higher than necessary number of fibres will be released into the environment, which would be counter productive.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring substance, some asbestos fibres are being naturally liberated into the atmosphere all the time. So everyone is exposed to some asbestos fibres at all times, whether working under an asbestos roof, playing in your local park or sailing across the sea. The low natural levels do not cause a danger, they become dangerous when the level of free fibres is increased by the inappropriate use by people.

There is a very large amount of ignorance about the amount of asbestos in products, the quantity in buildings and the hazards associated with asbestos in buildings and property.

When asbestos materials are found, they should be treated with the following advice.

(1)Asbestos materials, which are sound, undamaged and not releasing any fibres should not be disturbed or agitated. The condition should be monitored on a regular basis.

(2)When possible, damaged materials should be repaired and then protected as necessary, provided that the repair will be durable and not likely to be disturbed.

(3)Removal must only be performed when repair is not possible or the material is likely to be disturbed.