| Asbestos is a mineral fiber. It can be definitely identified | | | | exposure phases, on the order of months. |
| simply with a special kind of microscope. There are | | | | Many studies have attempted to decide whether |
| many types of asbestos fibers. Formerly, asbestos | | | | asbestosis is present in all cases of asbestos-related |
| was added to a range of products to reinforce them | | | | lung cancer. While this would make simpler the |
| and to give heat insulation and fire resistance. | | | | pathology determination once the diagnosis was |
| Asbestos-related lung disease happened at very high | | | | completed-and potentially help in treatment |
| rates to the middle of the 20th century, when patients | | | | decisions-this has not showed to be a reliable pattern |
| who were uncovered decades earlier to asbestos | | | | in these cases. |
| finally developed disease. British asbestos workers | | | | Once the existence of any of these lung abnormalities |
| were among the first who were detected to suffer | | | | is recognized, any tests may be necessary to |
| lung cancer related to asbestos. | | | | establish if cancer of lung is present, how far it has |
| Like mesothelioma, the latency phase between | | | | progressed, and what medications are indicated. |
| asbestos exposure and the growth of asbestos | | | | Frequently, some are used in conjunction to give a |
| related lung cancer may be two, three, four, or even | | | | complete picture. |
| more decades. Very frequently, asbestos-related | | | | While imaging tests like A Computed Tomography |
| cancer sufferers also suffer from asbestosis, a | | | | Scan (CT scan or CAT scan), Positron emission |
| scarring of the lung tissue caused by asbestos | | | | tomography (PET) scans and ultrasound give helpful |
| exposure. Approximately one in seven people with | | | | information, lung cancer, asbestos-related or otherwise, |
| asbestosis will ultimately expand cancer of lung. | | | | cannot be diagnosed without examination of the |
| The danger of lung cancer and mesothelioma raises | | | | abnormal tissue or tumor. This necessitates a biopsy, |
| with the number of fibers inhaled. The risk from inhaling | | | | or physical removal of tissue for examination. |
| asbestos fibers is greater too if you smoke. While the | | | | Physicians typically prefer to use the least invasive |
| majority asbestos-associated cancers are related to | | | | methods first, resorting to more invasive if a diagnosis |
| the intensity and extent of exposure, reports in medical | | | | cannot be attained. |
| journals have related some mesotheliomas to short | | | | |