2024 - Asbestos-related diseases

What is it about ?

Asbestos is a general term for a group of fibrous minerals. Exposure to asbestos can cause illnesses such as cancer. Nowadays, the use of asbestos is prohibited in many countries (in Belgium since 1998), but before this ban, many people had professional contact with these fibers. Many old buildings still contain asbestos, which can be released during renovation work.

Inhaling asbestos fibers can lead to lung cancer, mesothelioma (cancer of the membranes that cover the lungs, chest, intestines, heart), asbestosis, cancer of the larynx, cancer of the ovary, etc.

Mesothelioma is rare, but 8 out of 10 times it is associated with proven exposure to asbestos (and more specifically to blue asbestos, called crocidolite). Mesothelioma does not develop until 30 to 50 years after exposure, even if the exposure was only short-lived. A high dose of asbestos fibers for a day or a week may already be enough for mesothelioma to develop subsequently. It is an aggressive cancer for which there is no good treatment. The prognosis is grim, with an average survival of just over a year after diagnosis.

Asbestosis is a disease of the lungs. The lungs harden (sclerotize) because, after exposure to asbestos, the tissue in the lungs is replaced by scar tissue. The disease can be seen using a CT scan. In the advanced form, the lungs shrink, lung function decreases, and shortness of breath occurs with exertion.

The thickening of the lining of the lungs (pleura) caused by exposure to asbestos can usually be seen on a CT scan or x-ray of the lungs. Most often, we see plaques on both lungs between the 5^e and 10^e ribs. Usually the lesions do not cause symptoms. These plaques are also observed in the event of non-occupational exposure to asbestos. Thickening of the internal pleura indicates high exposure to asbestos and therefore a higher risk of lung cancer. The internal pleura thickens with the development of scar tissue, and sometimes it will even stick to the external pleura.

Inflammation of the pleura (pleurisy) can also result from exposure to asbestos (having occurred at least 10 years before symptoms appear).

Where do we meet them?

To date, it is not known what the threshold is for an increased risk of cancer linked to asbestos. The point is that the greater the exposure, the greater the risk of asbestos-related diseases. The time between exposure to asbestos and the onset of the resulting disease is generally long, between 10 and 40 years. It is estimated that the maximum number of cancers due to asbestos was reached around 2010; almost everyone with this cancer today was exposed to asbestos before 1994.

How is the diagnosis made?

If you know that you have been exposed to asbestos, you should regularly have a check-up with a doctor. They will offer you screening so that if you do develop the disease, the disease can be diagnosed in time. For this, you must pass a CT scan. If you smoke, the doctor will also screen for lung cancer.

What can you do ?

If you have ever been in contact with asbestos (whether professionally or not), you should seek medical attention. If, after occupational exposure to asbestos, you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, thickening of the pleura or asbestosis, you may, under certain conditions, claim compensation from the Asbestos Fund. The combination of smoking and asbestos greatly increases the risk of lung cancer. We must therefore stop smoking.

What can the doctor do?

Your general practitioner will take the necessary measures in consultation with the occupational physician and the pulmonologist. Mesothelioma and lung cancer are treated by a specialist. Asbestosis is not cured (scar tissue formation is irreversible). Only the symptoms can be treated.

Want to know more?