Asbestos Related Lung Cancer

The average man in the U.S. has a one in 12 chance of getting lung cancer and the average woman a one in 16 chance. Asbestos workers, however, are about seven times more likely to die of lung cancer than people in general. Asbestos workers who smoke have a 50 to 90 times greater chance of getting lung cancer than the general population.
Lung Cells Most asbestos-induced lung cancer starts in the lining of the bronchi, which are the air tubes within the lungs. However, lung cancer can also begin in other areas of the pulmonary system. Although asbestos lung cancer usually develops slowly and may not appear until many years after exposure to asbestos, once it does occur, cancerous cells can metastasize, or spread to other parts of the body.
The two most common types of lung cancer are small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Asbestos exposure can be a factor in developing either type of lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for 85% to 90% of lung cancers.
with early-stage asbestos-induced lung cancer often display no symptoms. In later stages, the most common symptoms include a persistent cough; chest pain that is often worsened by deep breathing, coughing or even laughing; hoarseness; weight loss and loss of appetite; bloody or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm); difficulty breathing or shortness of breath; susceptibility to bronchitis and pneumonia; and wheezing.
The methods used to diagnose asbestos lung cancer include imaging tests such chest X-rays, CAT scans, MRIs and PET scans. If cancer is indicated, then tissue samples are used to confirm that it is cancer and to determine what type. These diagnostic tests include biopsies, phlegm samples, and blood tests.
Asbestos Cancer Treatment Non-small cell lung cancer can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy (therapy that uses drugs designed specifically to target cancer cells and to interfere with their ability to grow). The rarer small cell lung cancer is usually treated with chemotherapy, sometimes together with radiation therapy; small cell lung cancer is very rarely treated with surgery.
The prognosis for either type of lung cancer is poor. Nearly 60% of those diagnosed with lung cancer die within one year, and nearly 75% die within two years. About 16% of people diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer survive the disease for more than five years; only about six percent of those diagnosed with small cell lung cancer survive more than five years.