 Lung
cancer refers to any type of malignant
tumor that originates
in the lung itself (unlike mesothelioma,
which is in the pleural lining
around the lung.)
Some lung cancers are caused
by asbestos exposure, but the
nature of this relationship is
not yet fully understood. What
is certain is that the risk of
developing lung cancer is much
greater for those with significant
occupational exposure to asbestos,
as compared to the general population
who have background exposure.
Also, the greater the exposure,
the greater the risk.
There is also a long incubation (latency)
period between asbestos exposure and
the development of lung cancer. In
fact, incidence of cancer appears to
peak as long as thirty years after
first exposure.
Adding to the complexity of understanding
the relationship between lung cancer
and asbestos exposure is the issue
of smoking. There is a synergistic
relationship between asbestos exposure
and smoking. What this means is that
although workers who have been exposed
to asbestos have a higher risk of developing
lung cancer, it is also well known
that smokers have a higher risk of
developing lung cancer; but the cancer
risk of workers who were exposed to
asbestos and who smoked is not simply
the sum of these two separate risks.
Rather, these risks are multiplied.
The combined cancer risk is therefore
very much higher - as high as 50 to
90 times the risk faced by the general
population.
The
most important conclusion to be drawn
from this, for anyone who has
been exposed to asbestos and who smokes,
is to quit smoking now.
For more information
on this topic available on the web,
go to:
University of
Pennsylvania/OncoLink
American Cancer Society
The Daily Apple
Medicine Online
Lung Cancer Online
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