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Monday, December 7, 2009
When airborne asbestos fibers are inhaled, the fibers may penetrate the breathing passages causing irritation and inflammation of lung tissue. Asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer are all potential risks for anyone that has been exposed to asbestos fibers for a period of time.
Asbestosis is the non-cancerous illness caused by asbestos exposure while mesothelioma is cancer caused by the exposure. Although asbestosis does not develop into mesothelioma, researchers have found that chronic inflammation can contribute to the development of cancer. In the case of asbestosis, mesothelioma can develop.
The inflammation-cancer connection is made when chronic inflammation causes the bodies immune system to constantly fight off infection. While the body typically fights short-term inflammation, an acute “battle” creates a fertile environment for tumors to form.
Researchers are focusing on methods to control the inflammation to reduce the risk of cancer. In one study, patients with pre-cancerous polyps given Celebrex for three years experienced about a two-thirds reduction in the number of polyps likely to become cancerous, compared with patients given a placebo. Antibiotics to combat infection and anti-inflammatory medicines are often prescribed by physicians to help fight chronic inflammation and infection.
According to Richard Peek Jr., MD, of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, “inflammation induced by infection is thought to contribute to between 10 and 20 percent of cancers worldwide.”
There is still more research to be conducted, and scientists have found that there are genetic variations among individuals that can explain why only a certain percentage of those with chronic inflammation get cancer. In addition to asbestosis leading to mesothelioma, other cases have shown inflammation from Hepatitis can lead to liver cancer, and chronic inflammatory bowel disease can lead to colorectal cancer.
See CureToday.com for additional information.
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Labels: asbestos, mesothelioma
posted by Nancy Meredith at 6:16 PM
