Asbestos is a compound which is naturally present in the earth. It has been mined over the period of time. The small fibers of asbestos when inhaled get stuck in the lungs. They remain there for a long time ad over the years the exposure to asbestos coupled with smoking may lead to lung cancer related to asbestos exposure.
Asbestos has been used in insulation for the buildings, roof shingles, furnaces, textured paints and floor tiles. Exposure of any kind of asbestos can be a cause for lunge cancer related to asbestos.
A patient suffering from asbestos lung cancer may not develop any symptoms for a long time. A persistent cough, hoarseness, chest pain, blood in sputum and weight loss could be symptoms of any other disease. So it is a good idea if you are suffering from any such symptoms and if you have been exposed to asbestos in the past you should tell your doctor.
There are different tests to confirm asbestos lung cancer. The patient may be asked to go in for bronchoscopy. A thin lighted tube is inserted into the nose or mouth and the doctor can look into your breathing passage. He can collect tissue samples for examination. Needle aspiration is another procedure where a needle is inserted in the tumor through the chest and a sample tissue is removed. A doctor may remove some fluid from the lungs to investigate if cancer cells are found. Mediastinoscopy is done to examine the chest and the lymph nodes. A tissue is from the lymph nodes and the wind pipe is taken out from a small hole cut into the neck.
Sometimes to detect asbestos lung cancer CT scan or MRI and PET or position emission tomography becomes useful. These tests also help the doctor to see how far the cancer has spread.
The treatment of asbestos lung cancer depends on the age of the patient. It also depends on the type of cancer and how far it has spread. The treatment is aimed at improving the quality of life of the patient. The treatment options are surgery, radiation, chemotherapy. Which treatment to be used depends on the size and location of the tumor. If the cancer is inoperable then it may be treated by cryosurgery. In this procedure the cancer tissue is freeze to destroy it. Asbestos exposure and smoking is a dangerous combination that can give you lung cancer.
Mail this post
Tags: asbestos, lung cancer