Asbestos and Asbestos Diseases
by Lauren Hasha, Meso-Journal
Asbestos was used extensively in construction in the middle
decades of the 20th Century. In the 1970s, builders started
phasing out use of asbestos-containing materials.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) attempted to ban sale
of new asbestos products in 1989, but that ban was overturned in
court. However, by this time the construction industry had
stopped using asbestos.
Although it is still legal for manufacturers to sell asbestos
products today and it continues to be used in automobile brakes
and some other specialized applications, houses built in the
past 20 years do not include asbestos. Legacy asbestos
from decades ago remains a potential hazard in older buildings.
Mesothelioma cancer is caused by inhalation of asbestos fibres.
The tumour develops on the mesothelium, the lining of the body’s
The Centers for Disease Control counted 18000 mesothelioma
deaths in the United States over the seven-year period from 1999
to 2005, with 2704 deaths in 2005. During this period the
annual death rate was about 14 per million.
The agency expects the number of mesothelioma deaths to peak in
2010, and to begin to decline, as the improvements in safety and
reduction in asbestos use instituted decades ago payoff.
The latency period of mesothelioma can be decades, so even
though asbestos is used less widely today, people continue to
get mesothelioma due to their exposure in the past.
Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include shortness of breath,
chest pain, and persistent dry cough; symptoms of peritoneal
mesothelioma may include abdominal pain, increased abdominal
girth, distention of the abdomen, ascites (fluid in the abdomen)
and digestive disturbances. Less common symptoms of both types
can include fatigue and weight loss.
Once a diagnosis of mesothelioma is confirmed, treatment options
may vary according to the age, overall health status, stage of
the cancer, and the patient's wishes.
If you worked around asbestos at any point in your life,
remember that asbestos diseases remain a possibility for you as
you get older.
For more information, please visit
Asbestos.com. This support organisation
is bringing awareness to mesothelioma cancer and any other
cancer caused by asbestos exposure such as lung and prostate
cancer, to provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date
resource on the subject. In addition, their supportive
advocates are working even closer with their patients to help
them get the treatment and care they deserve.
The above information should not be treated as a substitute for the
medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care