Asbestos Exposure: Who Is At Risk?

Asbestos was one of the most common industrial materials put to use in the twentieth century. It has also proven to be one of the most lethal, as inhaling asbestos fibers can lead to a wide range of pulmonary problems such as asthma and asbestosis - and can also be the direct cause of mesothelioma.

What is mesothelioma? It is a lethal cancer that attacks the membranes around the lungs, the heart and the abdominal cavity. Mesothelioma cancer of the lungs is by far the most common form. Perhaps its most unusual characteristic is that mesothelioma diagnosis usually occurs decades after the initial exposure to asbestos.

It takes years for the asbestos fibers to work their way into those membranes; after an extended presence they begin to cause fluid accumulation and tumor development. However the first mesothelioma symptoms are such afflictions as a persistent cough or shortness of breath - symptoms that are often mistaken for evidence of more common lung problems, which delays the mesothelioma diagnosis even further.

Expert Spotlight: Dr. Daniel Powers

Beginning in 1984, Dr. Powers has been a certified B-Reader providing individual case B-Reader interpretations, individual imaging work-ups (including chest x-rays, supine spiral CTs and prone HRCTs), large screening projects, and expert witness services.
Learn more about Dr. Powers...

Did you know that the first sign of asbestos exposure can be "water on the lung" (a pleural effusion - the pleura is a cellophane-like covering over the lungs - the visceral [organ] pleura [lining] and covering the chest cavity - the parietal [chest cavity] pleura [lining]). Unfortunately, most exposed workers never know they have such "water" accumulation. It can occur many times. In some of these patients the sticky "water" causes the linings of the lung and chest cavity to stick/fuse together. Read more about Pleural Effusion...