Health problems surfaced as early as 1900, but since the latency stage
of lung disease related to asbestos is usually 20 years or more, the
magnitude of the problem did not appear until recently, despite
studies worldwide.
The health
effects may not be fully known for a number of years. Hundreds of
thousands of workers and their families have been exposed to harmful
levels of contamination.
Asbestos
fibres are harmful because they are extremely small and sharp.
Ordinary sized dust is caught and expelled by the body's defences
before it can be breathed in to the lungs or swallowed into the
stomach, but asbestos slips through .
That's why it's the lungs and
chest that suffer most, and sometimes the stomach. Once inside, they
begin to damage the tissues. There is no known safe level of exposure
to any type of asbestos..
However, not
everyone exposed will become ill. All we know is that the more
asbestos someone is exposed to the more likely it is they will become
ill and that the only safe exposure is zero exposure.
Asbestos cancers
generally take from 20 to 40 years to develop (the 'latency period')
Although shorter and longer periods have been recorded. Pleural
thickening can happen more quickly.
Additionally, asbestos exposure has been proven to cause all forms of
mesothelioma cancer (including the most common pleural mesotheioma)
lung cancer and laryngeal cancer.
According to the National Cancer
Institute, exposure to asbestos also increases a person's risk of
developing throat, oesophageal, kidney and gallbladder cancer.
Asbestos exposure has also been linked to gastrointestinal cancer and
colorectal cancer
Diseases related to asbestos can be sorted into different
classes. There are malignant (or cancerous) ones such as mesothelioma
and lung cancer. Then you have the benign or non cancerous ones such as asbestosis,
pleural plaques, diffuse pleural fibrosis and benign pleural effusions
The tragedy
of mesothelioma is that it takes decades before most symptoms appear,
and by the time the cancer is discovered it is too entrenched in the
system to treat.
Mesothelioma
occurs from exposure to asbestos.
It grows on
the lining of the lungs, (pleura), abdomen (peritoneum) the lining of
the pericardium
( the sac that surrounds the heart)
and the tunica vaginalis ( scrotal sac)
There are three main types of
mesothelioma, and each affects a different area of the body. These
categories are epithelioid, sarcomatoid cells, and a mix of the two
types called biphasic mesothelioma.
Epithelial mesothelioma is a rare and
deadly form of cancer that affects the membrane lining the chest
cavity, heart, lungs and abdominal cavity. There are three forms of
epithelial mesothelioma.
The most
common being pleural mesothelioma, then peritoneal mesothelioma and
the third being pericardial mesothelioma. Sarcomatoid is much
more serious, and it affects the secondary tissues such as bone,
muscles, cartilage, and or fat. This form is much rarer.
Mixed/
biphasic refers to both types of cancers at once.
Mesothelioma
is a terrible and deadly disease of the 21st century. Because it
takes decades before the first symptoms appear, many health
professionals believe that there will be a mesothelioma epidemic in
the decades to come.
Mesothelioma Cancer
Cell Types
To understand mesothelioma is to understand cancer.
Cancer is essentially the uncontrolled growth of cells. Under
normal circumstances, body cells in the hair, bone, organs or blood
grow to a certain point, die off, and are replaced by newer, healthier
cells.
Unfortunately, most cancer cells are damaged to some
degree ,and as the body reproduces them they begin to take over from
healthy cells, leading to eventual system failure .
Mesothelioma cells
are divided into three main categories:
Epithelioid, Sarcomatoid
cells, and a mix of the two types called Biphasic mesothelioma.
Cancers like mesothelioma can affect just about any type of cell
in the body, often radically affecting the prognosis and treatment
options for patients. The sad thing about mesothelioma is that it
takes decades before most symptoms appear, and by the time the cancer
is discovered it is usually to far advanced to to treat. .
Epithelioid Mesothelioma
The most
common and relatively treatable form of the cancer is Epithelioid
mesothelioma.
Under a microscope this type of the disease is seen as a
papillary or tubular growth and generally affects membranes and
tissues that cover organs and other internal bodily surfaces.
Between
50 - 70% of mesothelioma cases fall into this category, and this type
is most likely to respond to treatment
Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
Is the most serious form of the
disease, as it rarely responds to any treatment whatsoever.
Fortunately it is also the rarest, as it only strikes 10-20% of
patients with mesothelioma.
It appears as spindle-shaped pattern of
cells that overlap one another, and generally arises from support
tissues such as bone, cartilage, muscle, and fat. Death usually occurs
within six months of diagnosis of sarcomatoid mesothelioma.
Biphasic mesothelioma
is not a condition on its own, but
rather a combination of the other two types. It can take on both
the good and bad aspects of sarcomatoid and epithelioid mesotheliomas
and 20-35% of all mesothelioma cases are mixed or biphasic.
Because it takes decades before the first symptoms appear, many health
professionals believe that there will be a mesothelioma epidemic in
the decades to come.
Pleural Mesothelioma
Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma
occur as a result of the thickening of the pleural membrane. This is
caused by the rapid production of cancerous cells, which can then lead
to the build up of fluid between membrane layers. Tissue thickening
and fluid build up, place added pressure on the lungs leading to
reduced respiratory function..
Persistent dry or raspy cough
(usually with little or no phlegm)
Coughing up blood (haemoptysis)
Difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia)
Night sweats or fever
Unexplained weight loss
Fatigue,
Persistant pain in the chest or rib
area
Or painful breathing
Shortness of breath (dyspnea that
occurs even when resting)
The appearance of lumps under the skin
on the chest
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma
are caused by the thickening of the peritoneal membrane and the
resulting build up of fluid between the layers of membranes in the
abdomen..
Night sweats or fever
Unexplained weight loss
Swelling or pain in the abdomen
Anaemia Fatigue
Diarrhea or constipation (or any change in bowel habits or regularity)
Nausea or vomiting
The appearance of lumps under the skin on the
abdomen
Pericardial Mesothelioma
Symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma
are caused by the build up of fluid and the thickening of the
pericardial layers.
Heart palpitations or irregular heart
beats.(arrhythmia)
Chest pain,
Murmers
Persistant cough
Difficulty breathing (dyspnea)
Orthopnea
(dyspnea which occurs
when lying down)
Fatigue
Fever or night sweats
Pericardial mesothelioma develops in the pericardium, a membrane that
surrounds the heart and provides protection and support to this organ.
The membrane is composed of two different layers: an outer layer and an
inner layer known as the visceral layer
called the epicardium.
The
parietal layer is part of a larger membrane that lines the entire
chest cavity, while the visceral layer is the peri- cardial membrane
that lines the heart.
Pericardial mesothelioma accounts for
approximately half of all pericardial tumours and is extremely rare.
Pericardial mesothelioma accounts for approximately 1 to 6 percent of
all mesotheliomas. To date, fewer than 150 cases have been presented
in medical literature and approximately 200 cases have been reported
world wide. Pericardial tumours are typically
diffuse (not
localized) and tend to cover most of the heart.
Testicular Mesothelioma
is the rarest
of all mesothelioma cancers,
as less than one hundred cases have been
recorded.
This type of mesothelioma develops
in the lining that
surrounds the testicles,
Due to the
extreme rarity of testicular mesothelioma,
very little has been noted
about
its symptoms and the treatment options available
Often, the
disease is not diagnosed until patients notice the appearance of
testicular lumps. In some cases, surgery for an unrelated condition
such as a hernia leads to the detection of testicular mesothelioma.
Pleural Plaques
Unlike pleural thickening, pleural plaques
rarely form for reasons other than asbestos exposure. As a result,
when they appear on a radiograph or CT scan, doctors immediately
suspect damage due to asbestos.
Approximately fifty percent of people
who are exposed to asbestos over prolonged periods of time develop
pleural plaque.
All asbestos-related ailments occur because, unlike other airborne
particles, asbestos fibres are small enough to undermine the lungs
natural filtration system and imbed themselves in bodily tissues,
where they cause inflammation and scarring.
Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a non-cancerous scarring of the
delicate tissues of the lungs caused by asbestos exposure. Although it
is not cancerous, asbestos exposure may also cause lung cancer or
mesothelioma, and asbestosis is an indicator that you are at a higher
risk of contracting these asbestos related diseases.
Asbestosis is a form of pneumoconiosis, a general term for a type of
damage done to the interior of the lung by inhaled dust. The lung
consists of millions of minute pockets called alveoli where oxygen and
carbon dioxide are transferred to and from the blood. Microscopic dust
that reaches the alveoli can damage the alveoli walls, causing scar
tissue which then puts pressure on the neighbouring alveoli which
break and scar, and so on.
Over time, this reduces the
lung's ability to get oxygen into the blood and the result is
shortness of breath, which can be extreme. To compensate for this the
heart works harder and in the worst cases death comes because of heart
failure. Mild asbestosis may not cause any noticeable symptoms but
once scarring has taken hold the disease will get worse.
I have lung cancer but I smoked; does my asbestos exposure matter?
Yes. Physicians who are knowledgeable about asbestos related
diseases will tell you that asbestos exposure and cigarette smoking
are a lethal combination. Alone, either cigarette smoking or asbestos
exposure can cause lung cancer. For a person who has been exposed to
asbestos and smoked, the risk is greatly magnified.
Hammond
EC, Selikoff IJ,
Seidman H.
Asbestos exposure, cigarette
smoking and death rates.
Ann NY Acad Sci 1979; 330:473-491
Group
Smoking
Mortality Ratio
Control
No
1.0
Asbestos Workers
No
5.2
Control
Yes
10.9
Asbestos Workers
Yes
53.9
Lung and Other Cancers
It is officially recognised that
asbestos exposure can cause lung and other cancers. This is known
because epidemiological studies of asbestos worker deaths show a high
lung cancer rate. This is made even more difficult if the sufferer was
a smoker at any time in their life as the interaction between smoking
and asbestos exposure greatly increases the risk of cancer.
There is evidence that exposure to asbestos causes cancer of the
larynx. It may also cause cancers at other sites in the body, e.g. the
gut, colon, rectum and in the ovaries Much of the evidence is in
studies that are very small compared to those that established the
cancer and mesothelioma risks for asbestos. So evidence of asbestos
exposure is crucial in any attempt to link cancers other than
mesothelioma to asbestos
Symptoms of lung cancer
A cough that does not go away
Repeated bouts of pneumonia or bronchitis
Shortness of breath
Noisy breathing
Pain in the chest and upper back area
Coughing
up blood.
In the later stages of lung cancer,
people may
experience fatigue,
loss of weight,
extreme shortness of breath,
hoarseness, difficulty in swallowing,
facial swelling and back pain.
There may also be symptoms that
seem unrelated to the lungs.
These
may be caused by the spread of
a lung cancer to other parts of the
body.
Some people have no symptoms,
but learn they have lung
cancer when it
shows up as a mass or lump on a routine chest x-ray.
Others realise something is wrong
when new symptoms appear or a bout
of bronchitis fails to get better quickly.
LUNG CANCER IN WOMEN OVER SIXTY
HAS DOUBLED SINCE 1970S,
SAYING STUDY MARCH 7TH., 2011
According to new figures
released by the Cancer Research UK (CRUK),
the rate of lung cancer in
woman over sixty
has risen from 88 per 100,000 in 1975
to 190 per 100,000
in 2008,
the latest year in which these
statistics are available.
Lung
cancer in men,
for the same period, fell.
The overall number
of women diagnosed
with lung cancer has risen from around 7,800 cases
in 1975 to more than 17,500 in 2008.
Statistics for men dropped from
23,400 over
60s diagnosed in 1975 to just 19,400 in 2008.
While lung
cancer diagnosis in women
in the same over sixty category
was only
5,700 in 1975 compared to 15,100 in 2008.
In the late 1980s,
lung cancer diagnoses in women
in their sixties levelled out,
and even
started to fall,
but they began to rise again in 2002.
One possible
cause of lung cancer
is environmental toxins, such as asbestos.
Difficult to Diagnose Mesothelioma Cancer in Women
If they
were exposed to asbestos either directly or by way of loved ones they
should inform their physician, particularly if they are experiencing
any abnormal symptoms.
Mesothelioma cancer is such a rare disease that
not all doctors are able to diagnose it.
To make matters worse,
physicians often miss it as a diagnosis in female patients because the
disease is especially rare in women.
I wander if it would be
so rare in woman if it was diagnosed correctly in the beginning. I
feel that a lot of physicians don't even bother to ask.
Or; just do not
want to know, if a woman goes to them with what could be an asbestos
related diseases,
" Were you ever exposed to asbestos
"?
should always be asked for both men and women displaying
any of the symptoms shown in the above information. Especially if they
smoked.
They just don't think of all the exposures to asbestos a
woman may have had in the past.
It is now, that these
diseases will be showing up in great numbers
Though most
women have been exposed to asbestos in a secondary manner, countless
women have experienced occupational exposure to asbestos. Before World
War II, occupational exposure among women was practically unheard of,
but as thousands of men left their jobs to fight in the war, thousands
of women took their place in the workforce.
Leaving the home
to build planes, tanks, and ships, assemble ammunition, and fill
positions in numerous factories and power plants across the nation,
women were suddenly thrown into occupational settings where asbestos
exposure was likely to occur. And just as the men who filled these
positions before them, women were not provided safety gear to protect
them from exposure to asbestos and other toxic chemicals.
Despite the pre-established dangers of asbestos, both women and
men were exposed to this hazardous mineral throughout the World War II
era (now historically considered one of the highest production eras
for asbestos products)
Workplace Exposure
Given that asbestos was once added into
thousands of domestic and industrial products, a number of industries
and workplaces have been associated with asbestos exposure.
One
workplace where exposure to asbestos commonly occurred was laundry
facilities, which predominately employed women.
Since asbestos is
an efficient insulator, it was regularly used in commercial dryers and
other appliances that involved the use of heat.
These primary
and secondary types of exposure to asbestos cancer have resulted in
thousands of women at risk of contracting mesothelioma, asbestosis,
and lung cancer
Women's Secondary Exposure
Although the ratio of men to women
with mesothelioma is about three to one, the numbers of cases of
mesothelioma among women is rising. Second hand exposure to asbestos
is more common among women than the direct exposure that so many male
workers have suffered.
In many documented cases of mesothelioma
among women, the asbestos exposure was from the microscopic fibres of
asbestos that were brought home on the work clothes of men who worked
in an asbestos-related industry :
• Asbestos mines
• Asbestos
product manufacturers
• Shipyards
• Steel mills
• Rail
yards
• Refineries
• Power plants
The Link Between Ovarian Cancer and Asbestos Exposure
Since the 1970s scientific studies have been evaluating the link
between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer. Some of these studies
have involved the use of talcum powder on the genital area.
Talc
has a long history of asbestos contamination since the minerals can
naturally occur together and develop under similar conditions. For
example, a study published in 1982 reported that women with ovarian
cancer were three times more likely to have used talcum powder (also
widely known as baby powder) on the genital area.
A 1999 study
involving more than 1,000 women found the participants who used talc
powder on the genitals had a sixty percent overall increased relative
risk of developing ovarian cancer.
More recently, the
International Agency for Research on Cancer confirmed that sufficient
evidence has been gathered to prove that asbestos exposure can cause
ovarian cancer.
In March 2009 the IARC announced, "Sufficient
evidence is now available to show that asbestos also causes cancer of
the larynx and of the ovary"
Cohort studies of women who were
heavily exposed to asbestos in the workplace consistently report
increased risks of ovarian cancer, as in a study of women in the UK
who manufactured gas masks during World War II.
Studies suggest that asbestos can accumulate in the ovaries of
women who are exposed to it. "Although it may have taken decades" worth of
studies to prove the connection, it has been medically established
that asbestos exposure can cause ovarian cancer. Additional research
will continue to reveal the biological underpinnings of this causal
relationship and will hopefully also help lead to a cure for this
asbestos-related cancer.
Sources
1.http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/ovarian
2.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ovarian-cancer/ds00 293
3.http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_6x_tal
cum_powder_and_cancer.asp 4.http://ibasecretariat.org/lka_asb_polic_maj_int_agenc
ies.php
5. Cramer, D.,Liberman, R.Titus-Ernstoff, L.,et al.
(1999). " Genital talc exposure and risk of ovarian cancer".
International Journal of Cancer: 351-356.
6.Can asbestos cause
cancer of the ovary or genital tract?
7. It is possible. One
Italian study looked at women who had been compensated for asbestos
exposure in their occupation and found a higher incidence of both
ovarian and uterine cancer in those women
8. Another study looked
microscopically at the ovaries of women whose husbands were exposed to
asbestos at work and compared them to women who had not history of
exposure. They found evidence of asbestos in almost 70% of women whose
husbands were exposed and 35% of the other women!
9. Thus if 35%
of all women have asbestos exposure and there is only a 1.4% lifetime
incidence of ovarian cancer, there must be additional factors to
consider. On the other hand, asbestos must still be seriously
considered as a possible ovarian cancer causing agent.
Ovarian Cancer and Asbestos Exposure
Ovarian cancer is the
fifth leading cause of cancer-related death in women in the United
States, accounting for three percent of all cancers in American women.
Of all cancers that affect the female reproductive system, ovarian
cancer has the highest mortality rates
This form of cancer affects
the ovaries, a pair of female reproductive glands.
Exactly how
ovarian cancer develops is not completely understood, but a number of
risk factors have been identified.
One of these risk factors,
exposure to asbestos, was recently confirmed in March 2009 by the
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IRAC). Other risk factors
include age, personal and family cancer history, hormonal cycling,
number of pregnancies, and environmental factors. Environmental
factors aside from asbestos exposure include toxic solvents, dyes,
organic dusts, talc, and triazine herbicides.
Additionally,
asbestos exposure has been proven to cause all forms of mesothelioma
cancer (including the most common pleural mesothelioma) lung cancer
and laryngeal cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute,
exposure to asbestos also increases a person's risk of developing
throat, oesophagus, kidney and gall-bladder cancer.
Asbestos
exposure has also been linked to gastrointestinal cancer and
colorectal cancer.
Ovarian cancer is often termed the silent cancer, as it grows quietly
and is often only detected at the final stages, and it is the fourth
biggest killer of all cancers for New Zealand women. About three
hundred and twelve new cases are diagnosed annually with 173 deaths.
Until now, it has been thought the main risk factors included a family
history of the disease, having already had breast cancer and starting
periods at a young age. Women who are overweight or use hormone
replacement therapy are also thought to be more at risk.
Note: My sister Yvonne was the only one in our family to die from
ovarian cancer. There were seven girls in our family and four have
already died. I have not been able to find anyone in either my
mother's side or father's side who have died from this either and only
one of my sister's children who have developed a breast cancer.
My parents had 16 children. The eldest was my sister who was born in
1921, the youngest, my brother in 1946. fourty- plus grandchildren and
numerous great grand- children So I believe if there was going to be a
family history of ovarian cancer it would have shown by now.. I would
say that talcum powder has a lot to answer for in my sister's case
The following is an article from The Otago Daily Times, printed on the
3rd April 2009
Women warned of talcum powder danger Home,
News, World Sunday, 28th Sep 2008 News:
World | Health
Women have been warned to immediately stop
using talcum powder around their genitals in the wake of research
which suggests particles may travel to the ovaries and trigger a
process of inflammation that allows cancer cells to flourish.
Although
previous studies have raised concerns over talc, the latest findings
from the United States suggest women who use it are fourty percent
more likely to get ovarian cancer, a much greater risk than first
thought.
The Telegraph newspaper reported....The findings,
published in the journal, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and
Prevention, apply only to talcum powder used around the private parts,
not on the rest of the body Experts from Harvard Medical School in
Boston studied more than 3000 women and found using talc merely once a
week raised the risk of ovarian cancer by 36 percent, rising to 41
percent for those applying powder every day.
Dr Maggie Gates, who led the study, said that until the outcome of
further research women should avoid using talcum powder in the genital
area. One alternative is cornstarch powder.
The study
revealed that the risks were greater still for those with a certain
genetic profile.
Women carrying a gene called glutathione S-transferase
M1, or GSTM1, but lacking a gene called glutathione S-transferase T1
(GSTT1), were nearly three times as likely to develop tumours.
Around one in 10 Caucasian women are thought to have this genetic
profile, putting them at sharply increased risk.
Talc is made
from a soft mineral called hydrous magnesium silicate, which is found
throughout the world. It is crushed, dried and milled to produce
powder used in cosmetic products by millions .
Some experts say it has
chemical similarities to asbestos, which can cause a deadly form of
lung cancer.
Laboratory tests show ovarian cells exposed to talc
divide more rapidly - a characteristic sign of cancer. Until recently
there was no proof that powder could travel through a woman's
reproductive tract as far as the pelvis and then on to the ovaries.
But last year, a separate group of doctors at Harvard Medical School
identified tiny particles of powder in the pelvis of a 68 year old
woman with advanced ovarian cancer who had used talc every day for 30
years.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Is a
double dose of misery that develops in the lungs and does not ever go
away. It is primarily associated with smoking, but it is also a
condition that asbestos in the lungs can contribute to. COPD is a term
for chronic bronchitis combined with emphysema.
The National
Asbestos Registers were established in March 1992 in line with
recommendations made to the Minister of Labour by the Asbestos
Advisory Committee
DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR HEALTH & SAFETY
Asbestos and Other Occupational Lung Diseases in New Zealand 1992-2008
1.8 Discussion Information recorded in the Disease Register under-
estimates the total burden of asbestos-related disease in New Zealand.
This is a consequence of the voluntary nature of the Register, lack of
understanding of work as a factor in disease causation by the medical
profession, and failure by the Cancer Registry to code occupation in
their database.
However the Register continues to serve a
useful purpose,
(or
would if it was made compulsory for the medical
profession and the Cancer Registry to do their job, not just if they
want to)
There is now a greater awareness of the work factor in
disease than in 1992.
In my eyes, if the job is not done properly then
what is the point of doing at all. Someone really needs to look into
this and do something about it .
The Registers, part of the
wider Notifiable Occupational Disease System (NODS) operated by the
Department of Labour have, in the view of the medical panel, played an
important part in encouraging these developments.
1.8.1 Pleural Plaques One of the aims of the medical panel was to
confirm the view that pleural plaques were not just a marker of
exposure, but represented a disease - state.
The Department of
Labour publication Lung Function Changes in Asbestos Exposed Workers
with Pleural Abnormalities in 2000 indicated a clear dose response
pattern, including a reduction of FVC and FEV1 with increasing
asbestos exposure, independent of smoking habit.
The increasing
use of HRCT has resulted in the identification of minor degrees of
asbestosis often with few, if any, symptoms and no disability. It is
possible that these individuals will have a better long-term outlook,
although this is not yet established.
1.8.3 Lung Cancer The
contribution of occupational asbestos exposure to the causation of
lung cancer is well recognised as being underestimated, and
over-attributed to smoking among workers exposed to asbestos.
One
approach to this issue is to determine the ratio between mesothelioma
and lung cancer on the grounds that most mesotheliomas are diagnosed
and the majority are regarded as being caused by asbestos exposure at
work.
Various estimates of such a ratio have been suggested
and can range from 1 to 10. Even if the lower
ratio of 1:2 is taken - based on the mesothelioma cases diagnosed over
994 - 2005, for example - some 1,594 cases of lung cancer due to
asbestos exposure would have occurred, or approximately 145 a year.
It
is likely that this figure could be even higher
1.8.4 Mesothelioma
Reported cases of mesothelioma have continued to rise in New Zealand
over the past decade as was shown in Figure 4, and based on the New
Zealand Cancer Registry.
It is of interest to note the mean
exposure index for mesothelioma of 152 - as recorded by the panel - is
not dissimilar to exposure indices for pleural plaques (162), lung
cancer (162) and asbestosis (180). In other words, mesothelioma, like
other asbestos-related conditions, is in general dose dependant.
1.8.5 Chronic Obstruction Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) and
Asbestos Exposure These conditions are now being recorded if present in
individuals with an asbestos-related disease, as well as in those
asbestos-exposed workers who have no confirmed asbestos-related lung
or pleural disease.
Over the past year 33% of the 85 cases of
asbestos-related disease also had COPD, 40% among cases of pleural
plaques, 45% among asbestosis cases, 80% among lung cancer cases and
0% among cases of mesothelioma. In addition, eight cases that were
referred to the Panel because of asbestos
2.4 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Chronic Obstructive
Respiratory Disease (CORD), or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
(COPD), as it is now more commonly referred to, "is the fourth leading
cause of death worldwide".
It is defined as a condition with
airflow limitation which is not fully reversible, is progressive and
is associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to
noxious particles or gases. Historically, and still, the major cause
is cigarette smoking.
However, there is increasing evidence
indicating that exposure to dusts, gases, and fumes at work are linked
to the development of COPD.
As a result, it is now recognised as
an occupational disease in certain situations, with likely additive
effects occurring between smoking and some workplace exposures.
Contaminants of air associated in studies with work- related COPD,
include welding fumes silica, coal, oil mist, Portland cement, cotton,
grain and wood dusts The production of Portland cement used to include
asbestos in the make-up
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - The American Lung
Association reports that exposure to asbestos can easily irritate a
previously existing case of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
(COPD). In some cases, asbestos exposure may even be one of the
factors that cause the condition. COPD refers to two conditions:
emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The airways and air sacs of the
lungs of a patient with COPD lose elasticity. This can make exhalation
difficult and can cause air to become trapped inside the lungs.
This category of illness includes afflictions that create similar
symptoms due to toxins other than cigarette smoke. They are caused by
exposure to hazardous inhalants in the workplace or on remote job
sites.
Latest PubMed Articles
Does Long - Term
Asbestos Exposure Cause an Obstructive Ventilation...
Summary
This review shows that long-term exposure
to asbestos- containing dust
leads not only to a reduction
of lung volume as well
as to limitations
of forced expiratory flows,
such as FEF (50) and FEF (75),
but also to
increased frequencies of FEV (1)/FVC,
and elevated airway resistance.
There is evidence for significant
dose-response relationships
and an
increase in functional changes
in parallel to an increase
due to the
latency period.
Remarkably, even asbestos workers without
radiologically detectable pleural
or parenchymal changes already show
these functional impairments.
In non-smokers,
asbestos-induced lung
function impairment
is usually small on average,
although some of
these subjects
show functional impairment of clinical relevance
in the
pathological range.
In asbestos workers who also smoke,
due to
synergistic effects,
lung function,
especially of the peripheral
airways,
is highly significantly reduced.
The use of inappropriate
reference values,
healthy worker effects,
and airway trapping lead to
an underestimation of asbestos-induced
lung function impairments.
There are no differences among the various occupations
associated with
asbestos exposure.
Affiliation Ordinariat Arbeitsmedizin,
Universitary
Atsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf,
Zentral institut Arbeits medizin und
Maritime Medizin.
Journal Details Name:
Pneumologie (Stuttgart,
Germany) ISSN: 1438-8790
Occupational Lung Diseases
This category of illness includes afflictions
that create
similar symptoms due to
toxins other than cigarette smoke.
They are
caused by exposure to
hazardous inhalants in the workplace
or on
remote jobsites.
Coal miners are not the only ones
at risk for
occupational lung diseases;
they are only the best known example.
Employees working in a car garage,
a textile factory,
steel or paper
mills or a power plant
are often exposed to asbestos,
which can lead
to asbestosis
or mesothelioma cancer.
Asbestos can also be found in a
wide
variety of locations along with other
hazardous chemicals, dusts,
and fibres that may lead to a lifetime
of pulmonary symptoms if not
properly diagnosed and treated.
Exposure to asbestos fibres
or other
airborne toxins
can trigger COPD especially
when combined with
cigarette smoking.
Occupational lung disorders
are the number one
cause of work-related illness.
Occupational lung diseases
in general
are similar to
asbestos related afflictions.
They are most often
caused by repeated,
long-term exposure,
but can also be the result of
a
single hazardous occurrence.
Smoking increases the likelihood
and
severity of an
occupational lung disease.
Any respiratory toxicity
will
heighten the risk of lung cancer.
A Common and Often Hidden
Respiratory Disorder.
While COPD may be a relatively
new term to many
people,
the respiratory disorders
that are included in COPD are not.
COPD is a widespread affliction
in most countries,
impacting a large
number of
people - especially older people.
More than twelve million people
are currently diagnosed with COPD.
An
additional twelve million
probably have the disease
and don't know it.
COPD develops slowly,
as the lungs are damaged over
a period of time
by tobacco smoke
and airborne toxins.
Because symptoms develop
gradually
the diagnosis is usually made
after substantial damage has
been done.
Eventually severe COPD may prevent
a patient from basic
physical activity,
making this among the most
debilitating of
diseases.
Most of the time,
COPD is diagnosed in middle-aged
or older
people.
It is self-induced,
in the sense that the disease isn't passed
from person to person.
COPD has no cure yet;
nor is there a way to
reverse the damage.
Treatment can only slow the
progression of the
disease.
Sources:
1. American Lung Association,
http://www.lungusa.org/ lung-disease/copd/about-copd/understanding-copd.html
2. American Academy of Family Physicians,
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen
/home/articles/706.printerview. html
3.Ohio
State University Medical Center,
http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/
healthcare_services/lung_
diseases/lung/occupationallung/
Pages/index.aspx
4.American Heart Lung
& Blood Institute,
http://www. nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases
/Copd/Copd_WhatIs.
html
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