The three principal and most lethal results of asbestos poisoning are :
- asbestosis,
- malignant mesothelioma and
- asbestos lung cancer.
Asbestosis occurs when the asbestos fibers embedded in the inner lung tissue cause the tissue to harden and lose much of its ability to absorb oxygen. The disease is progressive; an asbestosis victim will gradually loose lung capacity and the ability to engage in extended physical endeavors.
Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer that develops in the mesothelium, a membrane that lines the body’s chest and abdominal cavities. Sections of this membrane also wrap around the lungs and form a sac around the heart for protective purposes. When asbestos fibers lodge in the mesothelium they can cause the development of malformed cells that are malignant and that multiply uncontrollably. Pleural mesothelioma, or cancer in the outer lining of the lung, is the most common form of the disease representing two thirds or more of all cases.
Lung cancer from asbestos exposure can also develop when asbestos fibers become lodged in the lungs. When mesothelioma is in its advanced stages, tumors begin to develop in nearby tissues and organs. The lungs are just beneath the cancerous tissue that develops with pleural mesothelioma, and lung cancer – malignant tumors within the lung – can be caused by metastatic mesothelioma. However it is also true that asbestos poisoning in the lungs can cause lung cancer or be a contributing cause, especially with smokers who have been exposed to asbestos fibers and who develop lung cancer.
Asbestos Poisoning
