Mesothelioma and Its Links to Asbestos

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It has been in use since the mythological era of Ancient Greece, but asbestos is a modern-day killer. Widely used for fireproof insulation purposes in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, asbestos has since been found to cause the deadly cancer mesothelioma along with other lung conditions.
Occupational Exposure and Dangers To Workers
After noticing that chronic diseases, especially cancers of the lung such as mesothelioma, were extremely common in construction workers who were exposed to asbestos, doctors began making a connection between asbestos and mesothelioma. Unfortunately, construction and other workers who were exposed to asbestos from the 1950s through the 1970s, when the dangers of asbestos were more fully recognized, are still suffering from the ill effects of asbestos exposure at work. There are now laws and regulations in place that are designed to prevent workers from exposure to toxic asbestos; however, these laws cannot undo years upon years of exposure to this deadly mineral in the workplace.
Delayed Diagnosis Due To Long Dormancy Period
Workers may have been exposed to asbestos in the 1970s, but may only just now be developing the tell-tale symptoms of mesothelioma. This is because the disease is slow to manifest, which challenges doctors struggling to diagnose and treat mesothelioma patients in time. Because its symptoms take so long to manifest and often align themselves with those of other diseases, mesothelioma in workers may be misdiagnosed as pneumonia or other diseases during its early stages.
Mesothelioma Symptoms
Symptoms of mesothelioma include: