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Thursday, 19 July 2007 |
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When we hear about lung cancer the first cause that enters our thoughts is likely to be smoking. This is because there is such an emphasis placed on smoking and lung cancer. However there are other suspected causes of lung cancer such as asbestos. People who are exposed to this material for prolong periods of time are at risk for developing asbestos lung cancer. There are many people, men primarily who work in environments where asbestos is being used daily. For these people, they are definitely at risk for asbestos lung cancer.
It is general knowledge that smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer. Combine smoking with asbestos exposure and the risk of developing asbestos lung cancer is roughly 50%. Research has shown a synergistic interaction takes place between asbestos exposure and cigarette smoking. The risk is greater for asbestos lung cancer if the two are combined than just one of these factors alone. Research has estimated that people who are exposed to asbestos and have histories of smoking are at a risk of developing lung cancer that is eight times higher than those who have not been exposed to asbestos and smoke.These are scary statistics for people who have jobs dealing with asbestos. It’s unfortunate since these statistics regarding asbestos lung cancer definitely compels people to give up their jobs. However if wishing to stay in an environment where asbestos is being used, refraining from cigarette smoking will certainly decrease the risk of developing asbestos lung cancer. When hearing advertisements and discussions about lung cancer prevention, the main topic is generally smoking and nowadays second-hand smoke. There are other causes of lung cancer that the general public is perhaps not aware of such as asbestos exposure. To learn more about lung cancer risks you have options such as consulting a cancer specialist or cancer center. The Internet is also a great resource for cancer information. There are hundreds of medical sites and cancer-related websites hosted on the Internet. To learn more about risks such as asbestos exposure, take some time to browse the Internet in search of topics like asbestos lung cancer. |