Non-Small Cell Carcinoma and Asbestos
Asbestos has been prized for centuries for its resistance to flame, heat, electrical impulses and most forms of chemical corrosion. Throughout most of the 20th century, right up until the early 1980s, asbestos was used extensively in a variety of industries, including construction, metalworking, shipbuilding, and petroleum and chemical refining. Thousands of workers at these jobsites were exposed to the toxic mineral.
Today, asbestos is classified as a known human carcinogen, and its use in industrial applications has been severely circumscribed. Asbestos exposure has been linked to the development of malignant mesothelioma and lung cancers, both of the small cell and non-small cell varieties. Asbestos exposure is also implicated in the development nonmalignant pulmonary diseases such as asbestosis.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, or NSCLC, is the most common form of pulmonary cancer, responsible for 85 to 90 percent of all malignancies that affect the respiratory system. NSCLC spreads far more slowly than other forms of lung cancer, which means a wider assortment of treatment options may be available for NSCLC patients than for other lung cancer patients.
NSCLC types are categorized according to the underlying histology of the tissue the cancer cells arise from:
- Squamous cell carcinomas are cancers that arise from cells that line the interior of the lungs. Between 25 and 30 percent of all NSCLC is squamous cell cancer.
- Adenocarcinomas are cancers that arise from pulmonary glands that secrete the mucus that clears irritants from the lungs. Adenocarcinomas the most common variety of NSCLCs, accounting for approximately 55 percent.
- Large cell carcinomas, implicated in between 10 and 15 percent of all NSCLCs, can develop from any pulmonary tissue type.
NSCLC cancer varieties show demographic variation in their distribution. Squamous cell cancers are the most prevalent NSCLCs among men, while adenocarcinomas affect more women. Squamous cell cancers are also the leading type of lung cancer found among non-smokers.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Asbestos
Cigarette smoke is the primary cause of all forms of lung cancer. Asbestos exposure, however, is a secondary risk factor that can exacerbate the effects of tobacco inhalation.
Asbestos occurs as a fiber in nature. These fibers are compressed and reshaped when the mineral is used in commercial applications. When asbestos-containing products are manipulated in the workplace, they release clouds of dust containing hundreds of thousands of microfilaments. When workers inhale this dust, these microfilaments are embedded in their lungs, causing chronic inflammation that becomes the precursor of NSCLC and related diseases.
Age is another risk factor. The older the patient, the higher the possibility that he or she will develop NSCLC. The older the patient, the longer the interval the patient may have been exposed to NSCLC risk factors like tobacco smoke and asbestos. The disease is rare among people younger than 40.
If you or a loved one has a history of occupational asbestos exposure, and has been diagnosed with a non-small cell carcinoma, review your legal options with an experienced asbestos attorney.