What is Asbestos Lung Cancer?
Like tobacco smoking, exposure to asbestos can result in the development
of lung cancer. Similarly, the risk of developing asbestos induced
lung cancer increases with dose. It is thought that there are approximately between
1,400 and 2,000 asbestos induced lung cancer incidences
in the UK per year.
Recent studies have found that asbestos exposure significantly
multiplies the risk of lung cancer by a similar factor in both
smokers and non-smokers. However, the extent to which asbestos
exposure multiplies the risk varies and depends largely
upon the type of asbestos as well as the nature
and the duration of the exposure.
Cancer is a general term applied to a malignant growth
called a tumor. There are many types of lung cancer. Each type of lung cancer
grows and spreads in different ways and is treated differently.
A cancer is an abnormality of the cell which results
in an uncontrolled division of cells. These cells eventually form
a lump known as a tumor.
The tumor cells can begin to grow elsewhere in the body, a process known as metastases.
Lung cancer can arise in every part of the lung.
A large percentage of lung cancer is thought to arise from the epithelial or lining
cells of the large and small airways and is sometimes called bronchogenic carcinomas.
Lung cancers are broadly classified into two types:
- Small cell lung cancer
- Non small cell lung cancer
This classification is based on the microscopic appearance of the tumor cells.
What are the symptoms of Asbestos Lung Cancer
Common symptoms include:
- a cough that does not go away and gets worse over time
- coughing up blood
- shortness of breath, wheezing or hoarseness
- repeated problems of pneumonia
- shoulder pain extending down the outside of the arm
- unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite
- constant chest pain
- fatigue
- psychological symptoms such as depression and mood changes are common
However up to 25% of people with lung cancer have
no symptoms and the tumor is detected only by a routine chest x-ray.
Find out more
For information on asbestos lung cancer including:
- diagnosis
- treatment
- causes, and
- legal issues
please download our guide to asbestos lung cancer.
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