Asbestos-Related Conditions
Asbestos is a known carcinogen that causes diseases such as asbestosis, as well as cancers like mesothelioma. Although not everyone who is exposed to asbestos will contract a disease, those who have been exposed have an elevated risk of developing these conditions.
Benign pleural diseases are the most common asbestos-related abnormalities. These non-cancerous diseases include pleural plaques, which affect as many as half the people exposed to asbestos, and other conditions like pleuritis and asbestosis. Benign asbestos-related diseases can develop after very low levels of exposure, but repeated occupational exposure is most likely to lead to one of these illnesses.
Malignant asbestos-related diseases can also arise after exposure to the fibers. Cancers like mesothelioma and lung cancer have been directly linked to asbestos exposure, while asbestos also has an association with gastrointestinal cancer and colorectal cancer.
More On Related Conditions
To learn more about the various diseases that can be attributed to asbestos exposure, please fill out the form on this page.
Benign Asbestos-Related Diseases
Benign asbestos-related diseases include illnesses such as asbestosis and conditions such as pleural thickening. These diseases mostly affect the lungs – there are no direct asbestos-related cardiovascular diseases, and there is no evidence for non-malignant asbestos-related conditions in other tissues. In one study of 231 asbestos-exposed workers, 99 developed at least one benign lung abnormality after exposure to asbestos.
Symptoms of benign asbestos-related disease tend to develop more quickly than symptoms of asbestos-related cancers, with one study finding a pleural effusion to develop in as little as one year after asbestos exposure. Some benign respiratory diseases can develop after smaller periods of exposure, with conditions occurring in full-time employees whose working environments had as few as 15 asbestos fibers per milliliter of air.
Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a lung disease that is characterized by severe scarring and inflammation of lung tissue. This prevents the lungs from expanding and relaxing normally and causes symptoms such as shortness of breath and tightness in the chest. Asbestosis is typically associated with prolonged periods of asbestos exposure and high concentrations of asbestos bodies in the lungs.
Pleural Plaques
Pleural plaques are the most common disease caused by asbestos exposure. These plaques are areas of fibrosis that can appear on the chest wall between the sixth and tenth ribs, on the dome of the diaphragm or on the pleural lining itself. Between 10 and 15 percent of all plaques become calcified. Pleural plaques typically occur 20 to 30 years after exposure to asbestos.
Pleural Effusions
Pleural effusions are fluid buildups between the pleural layers. These can develop more quickly than other asbestos-related conditions, with some appearing within 10 years of exposure. They can cause pressure on the lungs and varying levels of discomfort, but not all patients experience symptoms. On average, pleural effusions last for four months. Even when these effusions are drained by a thoracentesis, they can recur in some patients.
Pleuritis
Asbestos fibers can cause excessive inflammation of the pleura, known as pleuritis, pleurisy or pleuritic chest pain. The inflamed surfaces become rough and rub against each other, causing sharp pain in the chest or shoulder. The pain is often worst when the patient is breathing, coughing or moving. Pleurisy may also be accompanied by pleural effusions.
Diffuse Pleural Thickening
Asbestos exposure can cause diffuse pleural thickening, in which lesions appear on the pleural lining and cause the area to thicken. Some standards require one quarter of the pleura to be thickened to qualify as diffuse pleural thickening, while other standards require only 8 centimeters of the pleura to be affected. This condition often decreases a patient's ability to breathe and can be fatal if the thickening is severe enough to prevent adequate airflow to the lungs.
Atelactasis
Atelactasis, also known as asbestos psuedotumor or Blesovsky Syndrome, is a less common asbestos-related condition that often accompanies pleural thickening. In this inflammatory reaction, scar tissues contracts and causes the pleural lining to fold into the lung. Although it is benign, atelactasis may look similar to malignancies on imaging scans, and a biopsy may be necessary to differentiate this benign condition from asbestos-related cancers.
COPD
Although asbestos exposure does not directly cause Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asbestos exposure can increase a person's risk of developing the condition. Patients with lungs that have been weakened by COPD may also be more susceptible to asbestos-related diseases.
One or more of these conditions may occur at the same time, and the presence of these benign diseases may indicate a higher risk of additional malignant diseases. One study found that individuals with pleural plaques were 11 times as likely to develop mesothelioma as those without pleural plaques. However, not all patients with benign asbestos-related diseases will develop a cancer.
Malignant Asbestos-Related Diseases
Asbestos has been the single largest cause of occupational cancer in the United States. Mesothelioma is the signature cancer caused by asbestos, but the fibers can cause other malignancies as well. Although any period of exposure can result in the development of an asbestos-related cancer, people who were exposed to high concentrations of asbestos for extended periods of time are at the highest risk for these cancers.
Mesothelioma
Caused almost exclusively by asbestos, mesothelioma is a cancer of the thin membrane that lines the lungs, heart, abdomen or testicles. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 patients pass away from mesothelioma each year in the United States. The four different types of mesothelioma each cause their own set of symptoms, but most patients experience chest pain, coughing, difficulty breathing and weight loss.
Approximately 3,200 people pass away each year from asbestos-related lung cancer, which, like mesothelioma, can cause pain and shortness of breath. Asbestos-related lung cancer is most common in patients who have been exposed to large quantities of asbestos for a prolonged period of time. Additionally, smoking has a synergistic affect with asbestos exposure that increases a person's risk of developing lung cancer.
Learn More about Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer
Ovarian Cancer
In 2009, the link between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer was confirmed. Asbestos fibers were found in the ovaries of asbestos-exposed women, and researchers believe they may have been inhaled and transported to the ovaries through the bloodstream, lymph system or reproductive tract. Women who were exposed to asbestos – both through occupational sources or domestic sources such as talcum powder – may be at an elevated risk for developing cancer in their ovaries.
Learn More about Asbestos and Ovarian Cancer
Laryngeal Cancer
Although the primary cause of laryngeal cancer is smoking, studies have shown that asbestos exposure can also cause cancer of the larynx. The risk of developing asbestos-related laryngeal cancer increases with the length and intensity of a person's exposure. Drinking and smoking can also increase the likelihood that asbestos fibers are retained in the lining of the larynx.
Other Asbestos-Related Cancers
Asbestos exposure may increase a person's risk of several other cancers, including esophageal, gallbladder, kidney and throat cancer. While asbestos may elevate the risk of developing these cancers, research has not yet provided a formal association between the fibers and these malignancies.
Learn More about Associated Cancers and Asbestos
Get Help for Your Asbestos Related Condition
If you have been diagnosed with one of these asbestos-related diseases and would like to learn more about your treatment and financial assistance options, please call a patient advocate at the Mesothelioma Center by dialing (800) 615-2270.
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© 2012 The Mesothelioma Center |
Last Modified Wednesday, February 15th, 2012 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
The information provided by The Mesothelioma Center is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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