Diseases Associated with Asbestos Exposure
There are three primary diseases associated with airborne asbestos exposure:
–Asbestosis – scarring of lung tissue
–Lung Cancer
–Mesothelioma – cancer of the pleural lining (membrane surrounding lungs)
Latency period:
The time between asbestos exposure and the appearance of disease
15 to 30 years
Latency means that your work practices TODAY could affect your health in 10, 20 or 30 years. Asbestos exposure is not like being exposed to flu, where you get sick in a few days.
The latency period is why it is important to employ safe work practice NOW, so that you don't suffer consequences LATER.
Why is protecting children from asbestos exposure so important?
Children exposed to asbestos may be more susceptible to asbestos related disease because their remaining life expectancy provides a long development period for the disease. Asbestos workplace studies suggest that a child exposed from age 5 to 10 has a 10 times greater chance of developing mesothelioma as does an adult exposed to the same amount of asbestos between ages 35 and 40*.
*EPA “Guidance for Controlling Friable Asbestos-Containing Materials in Buildings”
Latency Period
The figure shows the incidence of mesothelioma in US male workers (red line) in relation to overall asbestos use in the US during the 20th century (blue bars). The peak in disease (red line) in the 1980s and 1990s is shifted approximately 30 years from the peak use of asbestos in the 1950s and 1960s (blue bars).
Asbestosis
Fibrotic scarring of the lungs, not a cancer
Reduces lung capacity, makes breathing difficult. Patients often require supplemental oxygen.
Can be fatal, increases susceptibility to other heart & lung problems.
Latency period: 10 - 20 years.
Most common in workers with high exposure over many years.
Lung Cancer
Abnormal lung cell growth (tumor)
Symptoms: persistent cough, chest pain, wheezing, labored breathing.
Prognosis:
–Localized: ~50% 5-year survival
–Metastatic: << 50% 5-year survival
Increased Risk with Smoking.
–50 to 90-fold over non-smokers!
Latency Period ~ 30 years.
Mesothelioma
Rare cancer of the membrane surrounding the lung
Symptoms: shortness of breath, chest pain, fluid in chest cavity.
Prognosis:
–Median survival less than 2 years
–5 to 10% 5-year survival rate
Long latency: 30 years or more.
Age-Adjusted Death Rate from Malignant Mesothelioma (1999-2015)
Malignant mesothelioma annualized age-adjusted death rate per 1 million population, by state — United States, 1999–2015.
Note that the incidence in Hawaii is low compared to many other states.