Asbestosis is a serious and chronic lung disease characterized by lung tissue scarring, which can lead to long-term breathing difficulties. There is no known cure for the disease. It is caused, in particular, by asbestos exposure, but it may not be diagnosed until decades after the exposure has occurred.
Asbestosis is associated with chrysotile fibers, one of six recognized types of asbestos. Asbestos exposure can occur when a person breathes in the hazardous fibers. Asbestos fibers can accumulate in lung tissues after prolonged exposure, setting the stage for long-term fibrosis or scarring. Lung tissues become thicker over time, causing pain and restricting breathing.
Statistics and Facts About Mesothelioma Caused by Asbestos
A cancer related to asbestos is any cancer that can be caused by asbestos exposure. Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed asbestos-related disease in the United States, affecting over 4,000 people each year. Mesothelioma is the second most common asbestos-related cancer. It primarily affects approximately 3,000 people in the United States each year and is almost entirely caused by a naturally occurring mineral.
Ovarian cancer and laryngeal cancer are two other cancers that have been linked to asbestos exposure. Other cancers, such as colorectal cancer and gastrointestinal cancer, have a direct link to asbestos, but more research is needed to establish a complete causal relationship. Some studies have found an increased risk of esophageal and kidney cancer in people who have been exposed to asbestos.
Affirmed Cancers Caused by Asbestos
Mesothelioma cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and laryngeal cancer are the four cancers that have been linked to asbestos exposure. The following are facts and statistics on each of these asbestos-related cancers:
Cancer of the Lungs
In 1942, the National Cancer Institute confirmed that asbestos causes lung cancer. In 1986, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration stated that lung cancer was the greatest risk for Americans who worked with asbestos. Most asbestos-related lung cancers develop between fifteen and thirty-five years after initial asbestos exposure. The combination of asbestos exposure and smoking can significantly increase the risk of developing lung cancer.
Asbestos-related Life Expectancy in Mesothelioma Cancer
The average life expectancy for a mesothelioma patient ranges from twelve to twenty one months, depending on a number of factors such as the stage of the cancer at which the patient was first diagnosed. Each year, approximately 40% of mesothelioma patients survive, with 20% living for more than two years.
Mesothelioma Patients' Life Expectancy and Staging
Those suffering from aggressive asbestos-related cancer are increasingly having their lives measured in years rather than months. Improved treatments or therapies, as well as the development of new drug combinations, give newly diagnosed patients reason to hope and spend more time with their family or loved ones. Given the cancer's progressive nature, staging is an important factor in determining a mesothelioma patient's life expectancy.
Increasing Life Expectancy
Patients can now live longer lives than ever before. Some live for four, five, or even ten years after their initial prognosis, providing inspirational comeback stories for other potential survivors. The disease itself can change you for the rest of your life, but many survivors go on to live active lives, such as traveling and doing routines with grandchildren and other loved ones.
Innovative Therapy
With the advent of immunotherapy, genetic therapy, and today's multimodal treatments, exceptions have been discovered to be the rule. Medical trials are changing people's perceptions of mesothelioma.
Factors Influencing Mesothelioma Survival
What factors influence how long you live after being diagnosed with mesothelioma? Some of the factors that influence life expectancy include tumor location, cancer stage, and cell type, as well as some non-tumor factors such as sex, age, blood characteristics, and general health.
Life Expectancy and Treatment
In developing a treatment strategy, your specialist will select treatments that he or she believes will have the greatest impact on your life expectancy while causing the fewest physical side effects. He or she will consider all of the factors and develop a treatment strategy that balances risks and rewards.
According to medical studies, multimodal therapy has the greatest impact on mesothelioma life expectancy. However, this type of treatment strategy is widely regarded as aggressive and places a significant strain on the patient's body. You may not be eligible for this type of treatment depending on your circumstances.
The cancer must be in stage one or stage two to be eligible for multimodal therapy. Some stage three patients may also be eligible if they are in good health, young, and have a biphasic or epithelial tumor.
There is a chance that the best chance of living a longer life will come from experimental therapy in a medical trial. Mesothelioma researchers are constantly testing new treatment approaches, medications, and clinical trials, all of which allow patients to benefit from new treatments that may extend their life expectancy. Unfortunately, new treatments may also carry a higher level of risk.
A number of experimental therapies are being researched in order to slow the progression of mesothelioma. Some even show promising results in terms of extending life expectancy, such as photodynamic therapy and immunotherapy. Newer, targeted drugs that are thought to be effective in reducing cancer cells, such as gene therapy, may soon increase life expectancy.
Medical advancements continue to improve methods of disease management and detection. As a result, the life expectancy of its patients is gradually increasing. As more studies are completed and alternative therapy and treatment options are investigated, mesothelioma patients are being offered a variety of options that may ultimately change their prognosis and significantly extend their life spans.