An asbestos fiber is 400 to 2 000 times smaller than a human hair, allowing it to penetrate to the alveoli: gas exchange take place between air and blood circulation.

Trapped, these fibers can cause inflammation or non-cancerous chromosomal abnormalities, the starting point for benign disease or cancer:

Asbestosis

Asbestos pleural disease asbestosis cancer mésothéliomesLes asbestos fibers enter the lungs and cause inflammation, which is transformed into fibrosis (thickening of lung tissue). It generally takes about ten years between inhalation and onset of the disease. Shortness of breath, dry cough, tightness are the first symptoms can progress to respiratory failure, which can be fatal.

The diagnosis is based on radiography, tomography and functional exploration and detection of asbestos bodies in bronchial secretions.

There is no effective treatment for this disease in decline since the decrease rates of asbestos exposure.

Benign pleural

These lesions of the pleura are not the beginnings of cancer of the lung or pleura (mesothelioma). There are different types of benign pleural pleurisy benign (collection of fluid), pleural fibrosis (sclerosis secondary to pleurisy can sometimes lead to calcification), atelectasis, wound (benign mass developing in the contact of the pleura).

These injuries can sometimes cause a decrease in breathing capacity or pain.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma reaches the membrane of the pleura or, less commonly the peritoneum (the protective membrane of the intestines in the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (membrane that surrounds the heart). The pleural cancer is almost exclusively related to exposure to asbestos. Tobacco is no way implicated in mesothelioma. This disease can develop thirty to forty years after exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma is a cancer to occupational exposure to asbestos or asbestos which is the scientific name, asbestos was used for insulation in construction work,in manufacturing industries and thermal cooling in the shipyards for the insulation of vessels in the manufacture of materials such as cement, cement, friction materials, disc brakes and drum brakes, clutch linings Car, as protection against heat and burns, gloves, aprons in foundries, in steel, in flooring, in textiles, etc. … It should be noted that the spraying with asbestos is banned in France since 1977.

Note that since the Decree 96-1133, 24/12/1996, the déflocage buildings, houses, etc. … is mandatory. Asbestos is translated into fine particles that float in the air can be inhaled or swallowed. Professionals and companies now conduct places or asbestos is present.

Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lungs, including the pleura, the abdominal cavity including the peritoneal cavity, which often produces metastases to lymph nodes and viscera. the heart with the pericardium, mesothelioma attack is the envelope of these organs.

Asbestos must know is a mineral fiber. Mesothelioma is three times more common among men than among women, by the profession that was exercised. Mesothelioma is recognized as an occupational disease, supported by the Primary Social Security Cases where the relationship with asbestos is medically characterized. The control too recent exhibition will not avert the next decade the increase in the number of cases worldwide. What are the signs of cancer from asbestos?

First, shortness of breath dyspnea and chest pain indicate disease, pleural effusion, pulmonary fibrosis, clubbing, nails become bomber, pleurisy. This cancer is confirmed by the analysis in the sputum of asbestos particles, by chest radiography and biopsy. The first signs appear at about 30-40 years after asbestos exposure. Early signs, mesothelioma, can benefit from surgery that removes most of the tumor. When this stage is exceeded, radiation therapy, can limit the spread of the disease. Chemotherapy has only modest efficacy and has a palliative effect.

Pemetrexed in combination with cisplatin is the standard treatment of cancer from asbestos. Pleural Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor, an extremely aggressive, with asbestos is the major etiological factor to date, it is a certainty. Currently in France and abroad, numerous trials are pending, the state of asbestos litigation and mesothelioma lawsuits occur against these companies, having employed the workers and staff at the time unaware of the dangers and risks of asbestos. Individuals and organizations fighting for fair compensation for those infected. Mesothelioma or asbestos cancer, seems you will become the disease of this century with other cancers and AIDS.

The candidate vaccine has been developed from dendritic cells – immune system cells – patients placed in contact with tumor antigens. The specific immune response that has resulted has effectively fight against the disease: 10 patients on whom the candidate vaccine was tested, three have seen their cancer regress.

With 700 to 800 new cases reported each year in France, the survival rate at 5 years of mesothelioma of the pleura is estimated at 5%. According to the first assessment of the National Mesothelioma Surveillance established in 1998, nearly 90% of its victims suffer as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos. The use of this material is prohibited since 1997, but these cancers are generally reported for years, even decades after exposure. In addition, the diagnosis is often difficult, clinical manifestations are nonspecific. Thus this type of cancer is it too often diagnosed at an advanced stage.

To evaluate and analyze the importance of asbestos-related diseases, the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery has launched a register on line for recognition and monitoring of workers with a history of contact with asbestos complete the National Register of Mesothelioma .

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral considered carcinogen used in the industry. Inhalation will cause various diseases, both benign (pleural plaques, pleural thickening, pleural effusions, rounded atelectasis, asbestosis and chronic airflow obstruction, bronchial) or malignant (mesothelioma or carcinoma arising in cancer). The study by Dr. Tarrés encompasses the entire area of influence of the cement factory Uralita of Cerdanyola (Barcelona) who served between 1907 pollutant focus to 1997.

Living in an area near the plant multiplies by 47 the possibility of developing fatal lung cancer. And the cases continue to grow at a fast pace because the disease can manifest itself until 20 years later.
Another relevant data that reveals the study is the high incidence of respiratory affectations for the people who never worked in the factory. A third of those affected by asbestos are environmental, ie sickened from breathing asbestos fibers floating in the air (23%) or living (15%) who fell ill along the fibers that workers brought home on clothes. Some 62% of patients had the disease by direct occupational exposure.

These data show the impact it can have a clean focus on the general population and extends the problem of employment context to the category of public health

Mesothelioma is closely linked to asbestos exposure. There were reported cases of mesothelioma in people who are not exposed to asbestos either at work or through their environment. Non-smokers who are exposed to asbestos have a five times greater risk of lung cancer developed than non-smokers are not affected.

Smoking increases the risk dramatically – a smoker is exposed to asbestos have a risk of lung cancer developed a 50-90 times greater than non-smokers.

The easiest way to understand the difference between lung cancer and mesothelioma is that lung cancer is in the lung tissue, while pleural mesothelioma occurs in the layer of tissue lining the outside of the lung.

Smoking is considered the primary cause of lung cancer, and asbestos as the primary cause of mesothelioma. Asbestos can also cause lung cancer. Smoking does not cause mesothelioma. People who have been exposed to asbestos and who also smoke have up to 90 times more likely to be affected with lung cancer than those who do not smoke.