The legacy of decades of asbestos use is still with us.
After exposure to asbestos fibers, it may take anywhere from twenty to fifty years for symptoms of malignancy to surface. If symptoms do surface before that time, they are often discounted or misdiagnosed as something else such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, pneumonia, or even the flu. Unfortunately, a misdiagnosis allows the real …
As awareness regarding Mesothelioma increases, it’s understandable that your curiosity does as well. There are a lot of people out there wanting to know more about this unique illness. In order to learn more about Mesothelioma, you first have to know where it comes from. Mesothelioma is a unique form of cancer. Mesothelioma usually invades …
The industrial revolution popularized asbestos as people sought ways to make buildings and products less susceptible to fire and electrical damage. The fire, chemical, and electrical resistant properties of asbestos had been known since the times of ancient Greece, but it wasn’t until the early 1900s that its use became widespread. Asbestos is a common, …
The toxic effects of asbestos are not due to its chemical make-up, but its structural features: fibers. Chrysotile is 90% of the world’s asbestos production. Amosite appears to be the culprit. 5-10% amphiboles which are rod forms associated with malignant mesothelioma even when chrysotile is present. Chyrsotile breaks down in the body much faster than …
There is some understanding of the etioloy, but the basis for mesothelioma formation is unknown. Asbestos is inert in natural rock form. For it to be hazardous, it must be turned into fine flakes of dust that can be inhaled. So there is a risk in mining, milling, and abatement activities with friability. Respirators make …
Preventing occupational lung and respiratory diseases is the most significant way to reduce the number of deaths from these illnesses. The most effective way to prevent these diseases is to avoid inhaling the substances that cause them. Limiting or eliminating exposure to these irritants is the only way to decrease their effects on the body. …
A well-known cancer cluster was discovered in the 1960s and continues to be studied today. The use of asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, was prevalent in factories, shipyards and building products throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Many individuals who were exposed to asbestos on the job developed a disease known as mesothelioma. Many individuals also …
Carcinogenesis is defined as the process of cancer growth. Specifically, the term refers to the process by which normal cells in the body mutate into cancer cells. In order for carcinogenesis to occur, damages in healthy cell DNA must occur. For this reason, carcinogenesis is often tied to genetics. However, exposure to certain chemicals and …
It was a sweet deal, with the city of Belleville, Illinois offering to pay half the cost of demolition of an old theater for the owner if he would simply add a third screen to his drive-in. The cost of the asbestos remediation and demolition combined was $81,000, with the asbestos remediation occurring first, as …
A new technique used for testing for the presence of lung cancer could potentially reduce diagnosis time from six months to four weeks, according to researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This dramatic improvement in diagnosis time comes courtesy of a three-dimensional testing technique known as volumetrics. The procedure involves taking …
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