Asbestos is the trade name given to certain types of fibrous materials. They are silicates of varying compositions; the silica combined with such bases as Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, sodium, and Aluminum. Asbestos bodies appear as golden brown or beaded rods with a translucent center. The fibers are insoluble.
Exposure of asbestos causes fiber inhalation. Fine dust deposits in alveoli inside the lungs. Asbestos then causes a type of cancer called mesothelioma (a deadly tumor) involving mesothelial tissues or cells of the lungs, stomach, and abdominal organs.
A View of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer of the Pleura (lung cancer) and Peritoneum (abdomen cancer). Mesothelioma has a strong association with the crocidolite variety of asbestos.
Pleural mesothelioma, the most common manifestation of asbestos exposure, is well-circumscribed plaques of dense collagen, often containing calcium.
Peritoneum mesothelioma may or may not contain asbestos bodies, and rarely occurs in persons with no history or evidence of asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma not only occurs in people who had asbestos exposure but also to those living in the vicinity of the asbestos manufacturing process or those staying in asbestos-contaminated buildings. A Great Britain report showed an association between mesothelioma and people living within 1 kilometer of an asbestos factory.
The risk of mesothelioma is reportedly high in those cases with occupational exposure to asbestos combined with cigarette smoking. Mesothelioma usually does not appear until after 5 to 10 years of exposure.
Mesothelioma causes mechanical irritation, and in the advanced cases, there may be symptoms of clubbing of fingers and cardiac distress. The survival time of mesothelioma patients generally ranges from 12 months to 2 years of diagnosis, and very few survive longer than two years.
The following measures can be useful in preventing occurrences of asbestos exposure:
• Use of safer types of asbestos (chrysolite and amosite)
• Substitution of other insulators such as glass fiber, mineral wool, calcium silicate plastic foams
• Rigorous dust control
• Periodic examination of workers such as biological monitoring (clinical, X-ray, lung function)
The government should take adequate steps and make appropriate legislation to stop or minimize the case of asbestos exposure mesothelioma.
If you or anyone of your families or friends are suffering from mesothelioma, you have the legal right to file lawsuits for getting compensation for the medical facilities, loss of income, and pain. You can consult a qualified attorney for filing a mesothelioma lawsuit for compensation.