Medical Information

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory and fibrotic medical condition affecting the parenchymal tissue of the lungs caused by the inhalation and retention of asbestos fibers. It usually occurs after high intensity and/or long-term exposure to asbestos (particularly in those individuals working on the production or end-use of products containing asbestos) and is therefore regarded as an occupational lung disease. People with extensive occupational exposure to the mining, manufacturing, handling or removal of asbestos are at risk of developing asbestosis. Sufferers may experience severe dyspnea (shortness of breath) and are at an increased risk for certain malignancies, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Asbestosis specifically refers to interstitial (parenchymal) fibrosis from asbestos, and not pleural fibrosis or plaquing.

The signs and symptoms of asbestosis do not manifest until after an appreciable latency (time since first exposure), often several decades under current conditions in the US. The primary symptom of asbestosis is generally the slow onset of dyspnea, especially on exertion. Clinically advanced cases of asbestosis may lead to respiratory failure. On auscultation of the lungs, the physician may hear inspiratory rales.

The characteristic pulmonary function finding in asbestosis is a restrictive ventilatory defect. This manifests as a reduction in lung volumes, particularly the Vital Capacity (VC) and Total Lung Capacity (TLC). The TLC may be reduced through alveolar wall thickening; however this is not always the case. Large airway function, as reflected by FEV1/FVC, is generally well preserved. In the more severe cases, the drastic reduction in lung function due to the stiffening of the lungs and reduced TLC may induce right-sided heart failure (cor pulmonale). In addition to a restrictive defect, asbestosis may produce reduction in Diffusion Capacity and arterial hypoxemia.

Asbestosis is the scarring of lung tissue (around terminal bronchioles and alveolar ducts) resulting from the inhalation of asbestos fibers. There are two types of fibers: amphibole (thin and straight) and serpentine (curved). The former are primarily responsible for human disease as they are able to penetrate deeply into the lungs. When such fibers reach the alveoli (air sacs) in the lung, where oxygen is transferred into the blood, the foreign bodies (asbestos fibers) cause the activation of the lung's local immune system and provoke an inflammatory reaction. This inflammatory reaction can be described as chronic rather than acute, with a slow ongoing progression of the immune system in an attempt to eliminate the foreign fibers. Macrophages phagocytose (ingest) the fibers and stimulate fibroblasts to deposit connective tissue. Due to the asbestos fibers' natural resistance to digestion, the macrophage dies off, releasing cytokines and attracting further lung macrophages and fibrolastic cells to lay down fibrous tissue, which eventually forms a fibrous mass. The result is interstitial fibrosis. The fibrotic scar tissue causes alveolar walls to thicken, which reduces elasticity and gas diffusion, reducing oxygen transfer to the blood as well as the removal of carbon dioxide.

Mesothelioma

The mesothelioma is indicated by yellow arrows, the central pleural effusion (fluid collection) is marked with a yellow star. 

         Red numbers: 
         (1) right lung, 
         (2) spine, 
         (3) left lung, 
         (4) ribs, 
         (5) descending part of the aorta, 
         (6) spleen, 
         (7) left kidney, 
         (8) right kidney, 
         (9) liver.


Mesothelioma is a fatal form of cancer that develops in the mesothelium, the protective sac that surrounds the body's internal organs, such as the lungs, heart, stomach and reproductive organs. The mesothelium is made up of two layers of cells; one layer immediately covers the organ and the other forms the sac around it. 

The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid between the layers allowing movement of the organs so that they can move easily within the body, such as the inflating and deflating lungs, or beating heart against surrounding structures.

The vast majority of people develop mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos fibres. The fibres lodge in a patient's body either through inhalation or swallowing, affecting the lungs, stomach and/or reproductive organs. Exposure to asbestos often occurs 20 to 40 years prior to the mesothelioma diagnosis.

There are several different types of mesothelioma, including:

          - mesothelioma of the pleura, which affects a patient's lungs and is the most                 common form of mesothelioma;

             - mesothelioma of the peritoneum, which affects a patient's stomach;

          - mesothelioma of the pericardium, which affects a patient's heart and is an                  extremely rare form of mesothelioma; and

          - mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis (men) or the tunica serosa uteri         (women), which affects a patient's reproductive organs and is also an                 extremely rare form of mesothelioma.

Treatment Options

Diseases caused by Asbestos Exposure

Following are the main diseases caused due asbestos exposure.

         -- Asbestosis
         -- Lung Cancer
         -- Mesothelioma


Asbestosis Treatment

Asbestosis is a chronic and restrictive lung disease. It is caused by inhalation of asbestos particles over a period of time. Asbestosis takes approximately 15 to 20 years to show its effects.

Persons suffering from asbestosis are more prone to develop bronchitis and pneumonia.

Symptoms of Asbestosis may include one or more of the following.

         -- Shortness of breath
         -- Difficulty in breathing
         -- Constant dry cough
         -- Constant pain in the chest
         -- Pulmonary hypertension
         -- Excess phlegm

There is currently no total cure for asbestosis. Treatment of asbestosis begins with ending exposure to all sorts and forms of lung irritants. Exposure to asbestos fibers must be stopped immediately. Smokers diagnosed with asbestosis have a higher risk of developing lung cancer and smoking must be stopped immediately.

Treatments available to manage the symptoms of asbestosis include vaccines and medication.

Persons diagnosed with asbestosis are vaccinated annually for flu and periodically as required for pneumonia.

Asthmatic patients suffering from asbestosis are prescribed medication to relieve the symptoms of asthma. In more severe cases antibiotics could be used to treat and cure lung infections.

It is very important to maintain clean surroundings and proper hygiene if diagnosed with asbestosis. Any respiratory infection could lead to more serious complications due to the presence of asbestosis.


Lung Cancer Treatment

Lung cancer due to asbestos occurs when the person has had asbestos exposure over a period of time.

Symptoms of lung cancer may include one or more of the following.

         -- Dry, irritating cough
         -- Increase in sputum production
         -- Blood mixed with sputum
         -- Chest pain
         -- Lung infection

The treatment of lung cancer will depend upon how much the cancer has spread, the location and size of the tumor.

Treatment options could include one or more of the following.

         -- Radiotherapy
         -- Chemotherapy
         -- Photodynamic therapy
         -- Surgery

Chemotherapy makes use of cytotoxic (anticancer) medication, and a variety of drugs and chemicals that are meant to kill the cancer cells.

Radiotherapy (radiation therapy) involves using a localized high-dose of radiation on malignant tumors, destroying the cancer cells in the targeted area.

Photodynamic therapy uses laser light to destroy the cancerous cells. A special chemical is injected into the bloodstream and absorbed by the cancerous cells. Laser light is then used to activate the chemical and destroy the cancerous cells. This therapy comes with a host of side effects that include nausea and vomiting. The skin and eyes get extremely sensitive to light for approximately six weeks after treatment.

Surgery will depend on the extent the cancer has spread. It could include removal of a small part of the lung, removal of an entire lobe of the lung, or in extreme cases the removal of an entire lung. Healthy patients could recover to reasonable levels even after an entire lung is removed. Those who have had a history of smoking may not recover as well and could suffer from constant shortness of breath.

Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the pleura (lung lining).

Mesothelioma takes approximately 20 to 30 years to develop and show its effects. It is one of the most fatal, aggressive and painful cancers, almost always leading to death.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma may include one or more of the following.

         -- Shortness of breath which keeps on increasing as the disease progresses
         -- Extreme difficulty in breathing due to lung compression caused by the disease
         -- Constant pain in the chest which ranges from mild to severe pain
         -- Unexplained sudden abdominal swelling and pain
         -- Unexplained weight loss

Treatments for Mesothelioma include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery; the same treatment as that for lung cancer.

Surgery is usually required in treating mesothelioma. This can include removal of a part of the lining of the chest and infected tissue around it. If detected as pleural cancer, a lung may be removed in an operation known as pneumonectomy. In rare cases a part of the muscle below the lungs that aid in breathing (diaphragm) could be removed.

If you know that you have been exposed to asbestos over short / long periods of time in the past, it is so important to get yourself examined and screened ASAP.

For further information contact the staff at ADFA HERE.