Asbestos and Lung Cancer: Research Findings Shed Light on a Deadly Disease

Asbestos is the name used to refer to a naturally-occurring group of minerals that were long prized for their unique insulating properties. For decades, a synthesized form of asbestos was used in much of the commercial and residential construction in the United States and around the world. In fact, the vast majority of the public and private structures that were built in the twentieth century contain elements that contained some form of asbestos.

By the mid-twentieth century, however, questions about the long-term safety of these materials began to circulate. Workers who were constantly exposed to asbestos as part of their job duties began to suffer from a number of specific lung and respiratory disorders. Accusations flew on both sides of the controversy, but it was not until the late 1970s that federal regulations officially banned the use of the substance in the United States.

Today, decades later, we are still dealing with the public health fallout of the asbestos debacle. Cases of asbestos-related disease are at an all-time high, and governments around the world are still determining the best way to deal with the problem.

Scientists are doing their part by continuing research efforts into asbestos-related disorders. This week, we?ll take a look at some of the recent findings that have emerged from investigations into asbestos-related lung cancer and mesothelioma.

New Technology Boosts Early Detection of Asbestos-Linked Lung Growths

As is the case with most types of cancer, the prognosis for patients diagnosed with asbestos-related lung cancers is improved significantly when the disease is detected early. However, conventional diagnostic imaging methods have often had trouble detecting lung cancer growths early enough to significant impact treatment outcomes.

Recent research conducted by scientists at University Hospitals of Cleveland may change all that. According to a recent statement released by the institution, researchers there have been putting the finishing touches on a new imaging technology that is expected to significant improve the effectiveness of efforts to detect early-stage lung cancer. The new technology is also believed to be particularly useful for detecting asbestos plural disease, another potentially deadly respiratory condition caused by asbestos exposure. The researchers emphasized the importance of early detection with every type of lung disease, and expressed confidence that this technological advance would facilitate more effective early diagnosis.

Genetic Inflammation Risk May Increase Chances of Developing Lung Cancer

Although environmental factors such as asbestos exposure have been shown to play a role in causing several different types of lung cancer, researchers at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute may have pinpointed another important variable. According to the results of a recent study, people with a gene that causes lung inflammation may be at higher risk of developing lung cancer after exposure to environmental hazards, such as tobacco smoke or asbestos particles.

The researchers found that long-term inflammation of the lung tissue can be exacerbated by exposure to environmental hazards. Over time, the combination of these two factors can lead to cell abnormalities and aberrant growth patterns, including cancer. The study participants with the inflammation-prone gene IL1B were several times more likely to develop environmentally-related lung cancers than were their counterparts without the gene. The scientists argued that these results may benefit early detection efforts.

Women with Lung Cancer Often Fare Better than Men, Study Shows

Lung cancer is a devastating and debilitating disease, regardless of your age, gender, or health status. However, according to the results of a recent study conducted by researchers at the Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, female patients diagnosed with the disease often have an easier experience than do their male counterparts.

Whether their lung cancer was the result of tobacco use, asbestos exposure, or unknown causes, women with the disease typically experienced less severe symptoms and reported less pain, respiratory difficulty, and discomfort than male patients. The researchers argued that these findings may indicate that early detection of lung cancer is more difficult in females than in males. They proposed the development of a new set of early-detection protocols that might help identify early-stage lung cancer in female patients.

If you?re concerned that you might be at risk for developing asbestos-related lung cancer or mesothelioma, talk to your doctor for a personalized health assessment. Don?t forget to check this site each week for more of the breaking science news you need!