Cancer Caused By Asbestos Exposure

For most cases a definitive cause is unknown.

Cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

According to iarc there is sufficient evidence that asbestos causes mesothelioma a relatively rare cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen and cancers of the lung larynx and ovary. When a person breathes high levels of asbestos over time some of the fibers lodge deep in the lungs. Asbestos exposure has been strongly connected to a severe increase in the risk of developing mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer in smokers and non smokers.

Cancers caused by asbestos include. Asbestosis as bes toe sis is a chronic lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. However a significant enough number of cases have been observed to establish a more than tenuous connection and since asbestos is a known carcinogen many research professionals feel. Types of cancers caused by asbestos exposure.

Inhalation can occur from asbestos mining the manufacturing of asbestos containing products or disturbing breaking down asbestos containing products. Irritation caused by the fibers can eventually lead to scarring fibrosis in the lungs. This can make it hard to breathe. The major health problem caused by asbestos exposure aside from cancer is a lung disease called asbestosis.

Asbestosis symptoms can range from mild to severe and usually don t appear until many years after continued exposure. Rarely mesothelioma does occur in the lining of the heart and testes. Prolonged exposure to these fibers can cause lung tissue scarring and shortness of breath. Researchers are still debating how exposure to asbestos dust causes ovarian cancer.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the mesothelium tissue in the lung and stomach lining. There are multiple types of mesothelioma based on the organ affected. It kills more americans each year than breast prostate and colon cancer combined. The link between asbestos exposure and non lung cancers is not nearly as strong according to multiple studies.

This indicates that other factors may be involved in determining whether someone gets mesothelioma. For instance you could inherit a predisposition to cancer or some other condition could increase your risk. Mesothelioma is cancer that is exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. However medical research has established asbestos exposure as one cause of ovarian cancer.

Lung cancer caused by asbestos is responsible for an estimated 6 000 deaths in the u s. Lung cancer due to asbestos exposure is caused by inhalation or ingestion of the fibrous asbestos particles. About 75 of mesothelioma cancers affect the lining of the lung pleural mesothelioma whereas 20 of mesotheliomas develop in the abdominal lining peritoneal mesothelioma. Most people with asbestos exposure never develop mesothelioma.