Asbestos-induced lung cancer

The average man in the United States have 12 chances of lung cancer, and the average woman 16. Asbestos workers, however, about seven times more likely to die from lung cancer than people in general.

Most of asbestos-induced lung cancer begins in the lining of the bronchi, which are the air tubes in the lungs. But lung cancer can also begin in other regions of the lung.

Although asbestos lung cancer usually develops slowly and May not appear until several years after exposure to asbestos, when this occurs, cancer cells can metastasize or spread to other parts body.

The two most common forms are lung cancer and small cell lung cancer non-small cell lung cancer. Exposure to asbestos can be a factor in the development of each type of lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for 85% to 90% of lung cancers.

Those early asbestos-induced lung cancer often have no symptoms. Then, the most common symptoms include a persistent cough, chest pain, often aggravated by deep breathing, coughing or laughing, hoarseness, weight loss and loss of appetite, blood or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm), the difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, susceptibility to bronchitis and pneumonia, and wheezing.

The methods used for diagnosis of asbestos lung cancer include imaging tests that produce X-rays, CT scans, MRI and PET. If the cancer is indicated, then the tissue samples used to confirm that the cancer and determine the type. Tests biopsies, phlegm tests and blood tests.

Non-small cell lung cancer can be treated by surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy (therapy that uses drugs designed to specifically target cancer cells and to go beyond their ability to grow) .

The rare lung cancer small cell is usually treated with chemotherapy, sometimes in combination with radiation, lung cancer small cell is very rarely treated by surgery.

Forecasts for any form of lung cancer is poor. Nearly 60% of people diagnosed with lung cancer die within one year and nearly 75% die within two years.

Approximately 16% of people diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer survive the disease for more than five years and only six percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer small cell survival over five years.

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