Asbestosis life expectancy depends on whether or not the patient develops a more serious asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma. Asbestosis may go unnoticed for a long period of time as symptoms are not always present. It's uncommon for patients diagnosed with asbestosis to die prematurely, but if the disease mutates into a cancer such as mesothelioma, a patient's life expectancy is decreased dramatically.
A patient's asbestosis life expectancy is related largely to the duration and amount of exposure to asbestos. In some patients the effect of the disease causes only mild symptoms, whereas in other patients the disease reduces the flow of oxygen which can be fatal in some cases.
Smoking Cessation. Smokers can expect a much shorter asbestosis life expectancy than non-smokers. Smoking adds to the risk of developing lung cancer or emphysema, which further complicates breathing.
Asthma. Patients with respiratory diseases such as asthma can expect a reduced life expectancy. Asthma, when combined with asbestosis causes the patient's lungs to work harder to maintain healthy oxygen levels in the blood stream.
Pneumonia. Pneumonia (fluid in the lungs) combined with asbestosis (damaged and scarred lung tissue) can be a deadly combination, drastically reducing asbestosis life expectancy. Some patients with asbestosis develop immune system problems over the years, making it difficult to fight off infections. For this reason, even a common cold can later develop into something more serious such as pneumonia.
Heart disease and diabetes. Asbestos victims with health problems such as heart disease or diabetes can expect to die sooner than those without these additional complications. Part of this goes back to how asbestosis affects the body it essentially interferes with the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange in the lungs, which means the blood supply isn t as oxygen rich as it should be. This interferes with healing and recovery in general, which can lead to complications of unrelated diseases. Asbestosis and Mesothelioma Cancer
Few patients actually die as a direct result of asbestosis despite the many different possible complications resulting from asbestosis that can somewhat shorten the patient s life span. But asbestosis often develops into lung cancer or mesothelioma cancer, a virulent cancer that drastically shortens a patient's life expectancy. The majority of patients diagnosed with mesothelioma have a life expectancy of less than a year.
Once you have been diagnosed with asbestosis, see your doctor for an accurate analysis of your overall health. A physician can give you a realistic evaluation of your asbestosis life expectancy based on your symptoms.
Factors That Determine Asbestosis Life Expectancy
Malignant Mesothelioma At a Glance
Malignant mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. It is a rare form of cancer that most frequently arises from the cells lining the sacs of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum). Malignant mesothelioma is closely linked to exposure to asbestos - a natural fiber that was once used in manufacturing a wide variety of industrial and household products. Workers involved in asbestos mining, milling and manufacturing are at the greatest risk for developing malignant mesothelioma. Also at high risk are shipyard workers, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople. Family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing malignant mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos related diseases as well. Cases of malignant mesothelioma have even included people whose only exposure was breathing the air through ventilation systems.
Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, malignant mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. Between 1973 and 1984, there has been a threefold increase in the diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma in Caucasian males. From 1980 to the late 1990s, the death rate from malignant mesothelioma in the USA increased from 2,000 per year to 3,000, with men four times more likely to acquire it than women. The actual rates may be even higher however, since it is possible that many cases of malignant mesothelioma are misdiagnosed as adenocarcinoma of the lung, which is difficult to differentiate from mesothelioma.
The average age of diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma is 60. The average survival time varies from 4 to 18 months, and death is usually due to infection or respiratory failure from the progression of the mesothelioma.
How to Diagnose Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma diagnosis is very important as far as an early treatment is considered. It helps with better pain management. Mesothelioma diagnosis is confusing as the symptoms mimic many lung infections
Don't sit there and keep guessing. Consult your physician.
Get Mesothelioma tests done.
An early initiation of treatment will help reduce the cancer pain considerably.
Valuable Imaging techniques used in Mesothelioma tests are X Ray, CT (Computerized tomography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and PET (Positive Electron Tomography)
Invasive procedures for Tissue and fluid samples are also done. Usually invasive procedures {which invade the body} are required to make a final confirmed Mesothelioma Diagnosis (Thoracoscopy, Peritoneoscopy and Biopsy)
Recently the first ever Blood test for Mesothelioma have been devised as reported by Pacific North-West Research Institute. This is based on the fact that Mesothelioma cells release tumor markers called SMR (Soluble mesothelin-related) proteins.
Two important questions you should answer before you go ahead with the Mesothelioma diagnosis are:
Have you been exposed to asbestos? (Although not all the Mesothelioma cases are direct results of asbestos exposure there is a strong association between the two.)
Do you experience Mesothelioma symptoms?
Tips
If you suspect that you have been exposed to asbestos then get Mesothelioma tests done at the earliest.
Warnings
Mis-Diagnosis and late diagnosis is a grave error in Mesothelioma as the treatment becomes difficult with late diagnosis.