What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the name given to a group of minerals that occur naturally in the environment as bundles of fibers that can be separated into thin, durable threads. These fibers are resistant to heat, fire, and chemicals and do not conduct electricity. For these reasons, asbestos has been used widely in many industries. Chemically, asbestos minerals are silicate compounds, meaning they contain atoms of silicon and oxygen in their molecular structure. Asbestos minerals are divided into two major groups: Serpentine asbestos and amphibole asbestos. Serpentine asbestos includes the mineral chrysotile, which has long, curly fibers that can be woven. Chrysotile asbestos is the form that has been used most widely in commercial applications. Amphibole asbestos includes the minerals actinolite, tremolite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, and amosite. Amphibole asbestos has straight, needle-like fibers that are more brittle than those of serpentine asbestos and are more limited in their ability to be fabricated. Even though asbestos is now banned, people working in the construction industries, maintenance or demolition could still come into contact with asbestos dust, putting their health in danger. Exposure to asbestos is a risk, whether tradespeople are working on domestic or industrial premises. Diseases caused by contact with asbestos include mesothelioma (a type of cancer that affects the membrane around the lung) and asbestos-related lung cancer.
Asbestos Lung Cancer
Asbestos lung cancer is a rare type of lung cancer, which is the most common cause of cancer death in the United States. An estimated 4,800 deaths a year are linked to this illness, a number that represents about 4 percent of all U.S. fatalities connected to cancer of the lungs. The overwhelming majority of other deaths — about 90 percent — are linked to smoking.
Medical researchers first made a probable causal relationship between exposure to asbestos and lung cancer in 1935. Seven years later, a member of the National Cancer Institute confirmed asbestos as a cause of lung cancer. Study after study continued to show the cause-effect relationship of asbestos and lung cancer. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1986 proclaimed lung cancer as the greatest risk for Americans who worked with asbestos.
Like mesothelioma, another asbestos-related cancer, lung cancer associated with asbestos is typically diagnosed at a late stage of development because of the long latency period of development and the onset of symptoms. Similarities and Differences of Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lung Cancer: Both take decades to develop, but only months to spread to distant organs. They have similar diagnostic procedures and treatment techniques; however, the diseases differ in physical characteristics and non-asbestos risk factors.