Malignant mesothelioma is a tough cancer to treat. Even with a short survival time, some people with this cancer live longer than expected. A recent study in a science journal called Toxics looked at patients with mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer. All of them had been around asbestos between 2009 and 2021. The study found some interesting things. People who were exposed to asbestos at work not only lived for a shorter period of time but also had lower chances of surviving longer. This compares to those who were around asbestos in the environment. They found that the longer someone worked with asbestos and the closer they were to it, the less time they lived with both cancers.
For people exposed at work, the biggest risks were jobs making things with asbestos, whether they had mesothelioma or lung cancer. People exposed to asbestos in their environment faced bigger risks. These are people who lived near places using asbestos, like slate houses or redevelopment areas.
Asbestos used to be popular because it was strong, cheap, and very heat resistant. It is also extremely harmful, and most places now ban its use. Both mesothelioma and asbestos-linked lung cancer come from being around this dangerous material. In 2019, 35,000 people died from mesothelioma globally. About 180,000 people die from asbestos-related lung cancer every year. These cancers have a very poor prognosis, with mesothelioma patients having less than a 5% chance of living five years after diagnosis.
Experts say different factors might affect how long someone lives with these cancers linked to asbestos. These might include age, lifestyle choices (like smoking), and even genes. Scientists are trying to figure out who might die sooner from these cancers. They even made a way to predict how long someone might live with these cancers. The way someone is exposed to asbestos is also important. Other studies show industries like manufacturing and construction had more mesothelioma cases. Another study hinted that people who were exposed to asbestos at work lived for a shorter time compared to those who didn’t.
These studies did not go deep enough. They just looked at whether someone worked with asbestos or what job they had. They didn’t think about how long someone was around asbestos or how often, or if they were exposed in their environment as well. This new study wanted to find out how different parts of asbestos exposure affected how long people lived with these cancers. They followed these patients to learn how each part of exposure affected how long they lived.
Understanding how asbestos exposure affects how long someone lives with mesothelioma and lung cancer might help make better treatments. It could help people facing these tough diseases live better lives.
Source:
Min-Sung Kang, “Occupational and Environmental Asbestos Exposure and Survival of Patients with Asbestos-Related Cancer: A Follow-Up Study on Patients with Malignant Mesothelioma and Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer in Korea” (December 25, 2023). [Link]
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