Asbestos Cancer Mesothelioma: The Dreadful Facts

Asbestos cancer mesothelioma finds it home in the bronchi’s linings. The bronchi are the tubes separating the windpipes and the trachea. But this cancer can start anywhere in the lung area, invading the trachea itself, the bronchioles, and the lung’s air sacs. The disease grows slowly and silently to invade other body organs.

The human lungs are complex organs with complex roles. The lungs are associated with the functioning of breathing, talking, the sinuses, and the lymph nodes in the throat. The complexity of the lungs’ function can take up a whole page here; this is just to show you the extent of the lungs importance in the body’s system.

When asbestos lung cancer strikes at the bronchi’s linings, symptoms such as breathing difficulties, swelling in the upper area of the body, and chest pains can occur singly or all at once, depending on the stage and severity of the lung cancer. The problem is, symptoms do not show up until the disease has attached itself and has grown and spread.

The asbestos in the system destroys the bronchial linings, causing them to perform poorly and cause the lungs to build up excessive fluids. A chest X-ray can reveal the severity of the build up indicating the advance of the disease.

Generally, lung cancers are classified according to the size of the cancer cells, the small cell cancer and the big cell cancer. The small round cancer cells and the big cancer cells can be present simultaneously in a condition called small/large cell cancer. However, do not be fooled by the size; small cancer cells can multiply and spread rapidly and form tumors, which travel to other organs.

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that is used for insulation materials and there are several types of asbestos. In its natural state, the mineral is white, blue, or brown. The curly Chrysotile asbestos is least dangerous and is still mined today but the other forms of asbestos, which are a threat to health, are still mined in many countries.

Asbestos is a carcinogen, and exposure to asbestos in the workplace results in different asbestos related diseases. Asbestos cancer mesothelioma is the worst asbestos-related cancer. When processed, asbestos is inhaled into the system and once it is in the system, there is no way to expel it. The fibrous type of asbestos can also be lodged on the skin and clothes without your noticing it because it is odorless and colorless.

If you are 70 or 40 years old and worked in the insulating and construction industries, or mined asbestos in its raw form, the chances of your having the disease is high. You must be alert to the growing weakness you feel, the chest pains in one side of the chest, bloating, and weight loss. These are the symptoms of the disease but a biopsy, split samples or an x-ray can confirm if indeed you have Asbestos cancer mesothelioma.