Mesothelioma Asbestos Lung Cancer Asbestosis Lawyers
For answers to your questions and facts about lung cancer, read on for details about causes of the disease, how it’s treated and how it can be prevented.
Is there more than one type of lung cancer?
There are two types of lung cancer – non-small cell and small cell lung cancer. The two types are distinguishable because of how the cancer cells expand, grow and spread throughout the body.
There are three types of non-small cell lung cancer (the most common form of lung cancer). They are adenocarcinoma, squamus cell carcinoma, and large-cell carcinoma. Though rarer, small cell lung cancer occurs in approximately a quarter of all people diagnosed with lung cancer.
Can I prevent lung cancer?
There are three ways to prevent lung cancer – quit smoking, avoid second-hand smoke and stay away from air-borne carcinogens at work. If you’re concerned about your risk of developing lung cancer, avoiding tobacco smoke is typically your best defense.
What are the major causes of lung cancer?
The primary cause of lung cancer in most cases is smoking tobacco products. Of all the facts about lung cancer, this is the most critical and apparent. The carcinogens in tobacco smoke will damage cells. Other causes include exposure to carcinogens like asbestos or radon. Genetics may also play a role in the prevalence of the disease.
How do doctors detect lung cancer?
The early stages of lung cancer typically don’t exhibit any symptoms. The only sure-fire way to detect the disease is with a chest X-ray.
For a confident diagnosis, a biopsy is required. When a doctor performs a biopsy, he or she removes a small amount of tissue from the lung to test it for cancerous cells.
Does lung cancer have any symptoms?
Most lung cancer symptoms don’t appear until after the disease has reached the later stages. That said, the symptoms include constant coughing or wheezing, loss of appetite, chest pains, upper abdomen pains, bronchitis or pneumonia, blood being coughed up, general fatigue, a persistent hoarse voice and a dry, sore throat.
Can lung cancer be treated and how?
Lung cancer can be treated, but the treatments will depend on how far advanced the disease has progressed, the patient’s strength and the type of lung cancer. Lung cancer is typically treated with one of – or a combination of – chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery.
Is mesothelioma a type of lung cancer?
Mesothelioma is a rare form of lung cancer that is typically caused by asbestos exposure. The disease attacks the delicate skin lining of the lungs, and tumors form.
Are men or women more at risk?
Female smokers are twice as likely to develop lung cancer than male smokers.
I’m older and a smoker, will quitting really help me?
Yes, quitting at any age can help prevent lung cancer. The risk of developing lung cancer is reduced dramatically each year a person smokes – whether that person is 20 or 70. Of all the facts about lung cancer, probably the most saddening is that the majority of cases are preventable.
Watch the video related to asbestos lung cancer
You could have no symptoms, and still be at risk for an Asbestos-related disease. Mesothelioma of the lung symptoms may not show themselves for decades, and can often be misunderstood for a less serious condition. Mesothelioma in the lung may cause symptoms including difficulty breathing or swallowing, weight loss, pain and fever. Find out more at our website or call us today to discuss your case.
Help answer the question about asbestos lung cancer
Lung cancer – Mesothelioma? Do you know much about it?I have been lucky, and have not had to deal with the nastiness of cancer. My grandpa has Mesothelioma, the cancer from asbestos. He has been in Stage 4 for the past 3 years and has defied all of the odds. They originally only gave him a couple months to a year to live, but Chemo has worked wonders. He just had a scan and the results showed it has increased in size significantly, so the last round of Chemo didn't work. This has caused his ability to breathe to decrease, and the changed his Chemo. He had his treatment with the new stuff on Friday, and they rushed him to the hospital today because of his inability to breathe.
My question is are these signs of the beginning of the end? I know this form of cancer will eventually suffocate him, and he does have a living will, so oxygen is the only form of assistance he will receive. How long will oxygen help? I am very saddened by all of this and would hate to see him suffer for long like this. He is a good man and doesn't deserve to die like this. Do your organs shut down due to lack of oxygen? Anyone with experience with Mesothelioma or that knows about this and can give me some insight, I'd appreciate any details no matter how graphic. I just want to know what to expect.
Don't go into all of the herbs and stuff you can take to beat cancer. We know he is dying and cannot beat this. I really appreciate the thought though.
I know they cannot tell us when he will die, but I feel so helpless. Thanks for the link, but I have read everything out there about this and really was hoping to find someone who knows about this type of cancer first hand.
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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Information and Often Submitted Inquiries About Lung Cancer
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The carcinogenic nature of asbestos (chrysotile) has been related to the shape of the particles more than their composition. In other words, the substance itself is not carcinogenic – the shape is!
Chrysotile produces very thin fibers that can be many times longer than they are wide. When these become embedded in the lungs, larger particles can be coughed out but smaller particles need to be carried out by a type of white blood cell called a macrophage. Unfortunately, small asbestos fibers tend to be so long relative to their width that they tend to be actually longer than the macrophages. When the macrophages try to engulf them, the cells puncture and the macrophages die before they can do their job.
The EPA has targeted asbestos fibers over 8 micrometers in length as being the bad actors in causing mesothelioma (asbestos-related cancer), and claims that particles shorter than about 4 micrometers are not harmful (although this point is still being argued). Theoretically, the macrophages can successfully engulf shorter particles and get rid of them.
So why the cancer? There have been various theories about the mechanism. One theory is that the constant release of biochemical "distress signals" given off by the dying macrophages are the actual cause of the cancer. Another theory is that the asbestos particles have active surface sites for the generation of free radicals from oxygen, and that the free radicals are capable of reacting with and damaging the surrounding cells.
It's an interesting story. The link below has everything that you need (it is basically a list of resource papers and articles) although you will have to do some work to sift through the material.
The summary I wrote here is just from memory. When I was in university many moons ago this was one of the hot research topics in our department, so I got to see a lot of presentations on the subject although it was not an area in which I was personally working.
Good luck on the project
Shortness of breath is the main first symptom. Fatigue, weight loss, and a dry cough are also symptoms. My mom died from mesothelioma in 2006.
It's unlikely.
Cats don't smoke, which greatly increases the likelihood of lung cancer for people who have been exposed to asbestos.
Cats don't live very long, and are likely to die of other causes well before lung cancer would show up.
But here's the thing: if your cat has been exposed to asbestos, so have you. Kitty will have carried some fibers home on her fur. I'm more worred about you than the cat. Tell your doctor. You may want to get screened in a decade.
It depends on the kind of asbestos. Some kinds the risk is so low that it is worse to remove it, because of the added risk of stirring it up. I'm assuming you mean mesothelioma, which afflicts about 2-3,000 new people each year in the US (out of all third of a billion of us!), so the actual risk is very, very low. It also tends to be older folks. Of course, none of that helps if it's you, but you should keep the risk in perspective, and remember to wear a seatbelt and not smoke before you worry about spending mega-bucks removing asbestos or buying a new home to get away from it.
Here's some info on prevention:
There have been many types of lung issues. None from asbestos as that takes many years to develop. There is however lung issues from all the construction dust from drywall and concrete which will effect you immediately.
Asbestos does indeed cause a rare form of lung disease called mesothelioma. It is because of the nature of the extremely small fibers that make up asbestos. Once the loose fibers are inhaled the stay in the lungs for years as a constant irritant to the lungs, and eventually cancer results. In the past asbestos was used in everything from brake shoes, to window putty, to pipe insulation and more. It was used because of its ability to withstand high temps. The real problem is when the fibers are loose like when the wheels of a car are removed and the dust is inhaled, or when the insulation of an old building is flaking and the fibers are loose and can be inhaled, this is the real danger. As long as the asbestos is intact and the fibers are not loose there is no danger. Asbestos is no longer used in cars, or insulation or ceiling tiles or any other products because it is so dangerous. If these are newer ironing board covers there is no asbestos in there. About 5 years ago here in MN there was a congressman who died of lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure. He worked in old buildings in the east side of Saint Paul, MN and was exposed to asbestos insulation. Once a person has it there is no cure, but based on what you wrote I would not worry about any modern products as asbestos was outlawed a long time ago.
Have you thought to ask your parents about this … or going to see your doctor?
Warts are not caused by asbestos … they are caused by a virus .
suggest you check out the american heart and lung website. lots of useful information there.
I suppose it could be a danger if you were in the heavy processing of these items. On the other hand, people who have never smoked still get lung cancer, as did the wife of Christopher Reeves.
They say paint, intensive gasoline fumes, and other chemicals infiltrating our air can cause this as well.
My sister died with it and it was thought to be strictly from stress.
We are all at a certain risk level just by living in a society. Don't worry about it though – worry can cause cancer too.