Asbestos cancer is also known as mesothelioma.  It is a form of cancer that primarily affects the lungs but can also attack the heart and abdomen. Asbestos cancer disease is caused by prolonged exposure to the micro-fibers which make up asbestos minerals.  The latency period for asbestos cancer can take decades to develop and become detected. Unfortunately, this means that once asbestos cancer has been detected, it has already reached a very advanced stage. Every year around 3000 new cases of asbestos cancer are diagnosed in the United States alone.

Since symptoms of asbestos cancer progress very slowly, it is difficult for an individual to realize that something is wrong.  Often times people delay seeking medical help for up to six months or more since the symptoms can mimic other illnesses such as pneumonia. Some of the symptoms which allow the early detection of asbestos cancer are breathing difficulties, accumulation of fluid, and chest pain towards the back of the lungs. Secondary symptoms could include weight loss due to fatigue, fever, coughing and fluid buildup.  If any of the symptoms are experienced and you have past exposure to asbestos, medical attention should be sought after for further diagnosis.

Tags: Asbestos Cancer, Mesothelioma, symptoms

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 6:37 pm and is filed under Asbestos Basics, Asbestos Disease, Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.