Asbestos Cancer - Who is at risk?
The generic name "asbestos"
belongs to a group of minerals called "asbestiform" minerals.
Asbestos is a fibrous material which is mined from serpentine
rock. Basically, rock was mined and crushed. When the rock was
crushed, fibrous stands of asbestos were extracted from the
rock. The strands where put in bags and shipped to
manufacturing facilities were the asbestos was used as an
ingredient in insulation and other materials. The three most
commonly used forms of asbestos in product manufacturing were
chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite.
Although asbestos products have not been used in
construction since approximately 1975, the products in place
present a clear danger to individuals involved in repair work
and the demolition of structures containing asbestos
products.
There are two types of cancer
caused by exposure to high levels of
asbestos:
cancer of the lung tissue itself and
mesothelioma, a cancer of
the membrane that surrounds the lung and other internal
organs. Both of these are usually fatal. These diseases do not
develop immediately, but show up only after many years.
Interactions between cigarette smoke
and asbestos increase the chances of getting lung cancer.
Studies of workers suggest that breathing asbestos can
increase the chances of getting cancer in other parts of the
body (stomach,
intestines, esophagus, pancreas, kidneys), but this is not
certain.
People who are exposed to lower levels of asbestos may also
have an increased risk of developing cancer, but the risks are
usually small and are difficult to measure.
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