Asbestos use expanded during and after the Second World War to include asbestos based insulation products that were installed aboard U.S. Navy ships. Consequently, millions of workers serving aboard ships and deployed at shipyards were inadvertently exposed to asbestos. A large number of veterans who were deployed aboard ships prior to the mid-1970’s have been diagnosed with asbestos related lung disease in the last three decades. Due to the high latency period between exposure to asbestos and onset of disease, the symptoms can take 50 years or more to manifest. This explains why thousands of veterans belonging to the Second World War, Korea and Vietnam era are now getting asbestos-related diseases.
Defining asbestos disease
Any illness that results from exposure to asbestos is called asbestos disease. Exposure can occur while working with asbestos products or coming in contact with individuals involved in handling, cutting or modifying asbestos products. Three different types of asbestos diseases have been identified:
1) Asbestosis
2) Lung Cancer
3) Malignant Mesothelioma
The last two are cancerous forms of asbestos-related diseases.
Malignant Mesothelioma includes Pleural Mesothelioma (cancer of the lung lining) and
Peritoneal Mesothelioma (cancer of the abdominal lining). Non-cancerous forms of asbestos diseases are also there, for example Asbestosis which involves scarring of the lung. In some cases, non-cancerous conditions can also occur in the lining of the lung (Pleural Disease) due to asbestos exposure.
Asbestos increases a smoker’s risk of contracting lung cancer
Asbestos exposure can lead to lung cancer in smokers as well as non-smokers. However, in case you have a history of asbestos exposure and you happen to be a smoker as well, you face an increased risk of getting lung cancer.
For more information on veterans and asbestos disease, visit http://www.mesotheliomaweb.org/asbdisease.htm
