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Asbestosis
Asbestosis, the pulmonary fibrosis caused by asbestos fibers,
develops after years of exposure to the asbestos fibers. After the
fibrosis becomes well established the worker develops increasing
breathlessness often with cough, sputum and weight-loss.
One of the diseases associated with asbestosis is lung cancer and
this usually occurs in the asbestos worker who smokes cigarettes. In
fact the risk of the asbestos worker who smokes is 90 times more
likely than the non-asbestos, non-smoking worker.
Another rare but serious malignant disease, mesothelioma of the
pleura, is often an asbestos related disease. In contrast to
asbestosis which depends on the dosage of exposure to asbestos
fibers, the malignant pleural tumour, mesothelioma, is not
necessarily related to heavy exposure to asbestos fiber.
As the asbestos fiber in the working environment is reduced to
low levels the risk of asbestosis or lung cancer will be reduced and
hopefully in time eliminated.
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