The Lungs: Asbestos, Smoking, and Mesothelioma
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The Lungs: Asbestos, Smoking, and Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Scientists in Japan published a study about how asbestos fibers interact with the lungs when they are inhaled by someone. This study, published in Particle and Fibre Toxicology, explored “asbestos ferruginous bodies” (AFBs). When asbestos fibers are inhaled into the lungs, the body forms an iron-rich coat around the fibers. These coated asbestos fibers become AFBs. Mesothelioma after Asbestos Exposure When people inhale asbestos fibers, they can develop an aggressive cancer called malignant pleural mesothelioma. This cancer grows in the lining of the lungs and chest wall. It can often take around 40 years for malignant pleural mesothelioma to begin to grow after asbestos exposure. Imaging studies such as X-rays or CT scans may help in the diagnosis, but the…

Dusty Job May Raise the Risk of Mesothelioma
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Dusty Job May Raise the Risk of Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A new study on drywall sanding finds that people who do it – from specialists to do-it-yourselfers – could be exposed to asbestos fibers in excess of current safe limits. Until the mid-1970s, the compound used to seal up the joints between wall boards contained chrysotile asbestos, a mineral designed to increase strength and durability and to minimize fire risk.  However, many people are now suffering the effects of earlier exposures and others are still being exposed by working in older buildings. In an effort to quantify the risks, researchers with ENVIRON International Corporation in Chicago collected information about drywall dust exposures by surveying experienced contractors, visiting job sites, and reviewing other studies on the subject. They then applied mathematical…

Asbestosis vs. Mesothelioma: Early Exposure May Make the Difference
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Asbestosis vs. Mesothelioma: Early Exposure May Make the Difference

ByAlex Strauss

British researchers studying occupational deaths in England and Wales may have found a way to explain why some people exposed to asbestos develop asbestosis while others developmesothelioma. Although both diseases are caused primarily by occupational exposure to asbestos, the new study published in a British medical journal suggests that heavier exposure earlier in life may be more likely to cause asbestosis than mesothelioma. The researchers based their results on an exhaustive study of 33,751 mesothelioma deaths and 5396 asbestosis deaths. Death rates were plotted by age group. Because mesothelioma can take decades to develop, it was not surprising that death rates for both diseases were much higher among the oldest birth cohorts. But what was a surprise is that the…