Although all forms of asbestos are considered hazardous,
different types of asbestos fibers may be associated with different health
risks. For example, the results of several studies suggest that amphibole forms
of asbestos may be more harmful than chrysotile, particularly for mesothelioma
risk, because they tend to stay in the lungs for a longer period of time (1,
2).
Dr Keith Adam, a specialist in occupational medicine for over 20 years, and
Education Queensland have developed a series of short asbestos 'vodcasts'
designed to provide viewers with factual information about asbestos-related
illness. These vodcasts have been made available by WHSQ through a partnership
with the Department of Education, Training, and Employment.
When you register exposure to a hazardous chemical via the DAHCES your details
and exposure type will be recorded. You will be sent a letter stating your
registration number, and in some cases, additional information relating to the
hazardous chemical you have registered an exposure to.
We have lawyers who specialise in a range of legal claims who travel to
Tasmania. If you need a lawyer in Hobart, Launceston or elsewhere in Tasmania,
please call us on 1800 675 140.
Everyone is exposed to asbestos at some time during their life. Low levels of
asbestos are present in the air, water, and soil. However, most people do not
become ill from their exposure. People who become ill from asbestos are usually
those who are exposed to it on a regular basis, most often in a job where they
work directly with the material or through substantial environmental contact.
Asbestos is so dangerous that it is now illegal to import it into Australia or
sell it in this country. Unfortunately, vast amounts of asbestos were shipped
into Australia, or mined here, and widely used in construction and
manufacturing before the ban. Almost every structure built between World War II
and the 1980s contained at least some asbestos.
Malignant mesothelioma is very rare in people who haven’t been exposed to
asbestos. In England, cases were established from autopsy reports between 1910
and 1940, and the disease became more frequently diagnosed in the 1950s. The
link between asbestos (crocidolite) exposure and mesothelioma was formally
established in 1960.
Epidemiological observations have shown that the risk of MM is doubled in
first-degree relatives of index cases,12 leading to a need to understand the
mechanism of such inheritance that could provide an understanding of the
molecular changes in the process of carcinogenicity in general. MM has also
become more readily and accurately diagnosed with cytology,9 reducing the need
for more invasive diagnostic procedures. MM remains universally fatal, with a
median survival of 9–12 months, and epithelioid disease is the least rapidly
progressive.13 Most patients present with advanced disease, and palliative
cytotoxic chemotherapy has been the mainstay of treatment for the past 15
years, prolonging survival modestly in selected patients.14 A recent randomised
clinical trial reported a survival benefit from the addition of a monoclonal antibody
targeting vascular endothelial growth factor,15 and there are early reports of
responses to immunotherapies targeting the checkpoint blockade molecules
cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 and programmed death 1. Immunotherapies
currently provide the most promise for new treatment advances.
/ Asbestos Exposure Asbestos ExposureAsbestos exposure can lead to serious
health problems, including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma cancer.
Exposure can happen wherever asbestos is present: At home, a public building
such as a school or government office, a war fought on foreign soil or on the
job. Get the Best Treatment
Individuals who work around asbestos must be adequately protected. Employers
are required to disclose the presence of asbestos to workers and provide proper
protective gear, such as air-purifying respirators, before any work that may
disturb asbestos.
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