The Thin Line Between Asbestos and Cancer

A lot of different studies over the course of time have revealed that there is a much larger risk of developing lung cancer for people who have worked in positions that are in close proximity to asbestos. And for workers who have been handling materials with asbestos or worked in conditions where exposure is possible, the risk further increases if they are known to be smokers.

Asbestos lung cancer's preliminary stages begin in the lining of a person's bronchi. The bronchi are known as the tubes where the windpipe or trachea divides into two. In some cases, asbestos cancer actually begins in areas like the trachea, or in other parts such as the alveoli or lung air sacs and the bronchioles, which are the small branches of a person's bronchi.

There are two very common types of lung cancer today. One is the small cell lung cancer or SCLC, while the other is the non-small cell lung cancer or NSCLC. The NSCLC's condition has the cancer cells develop in much larger sizes compared to SCLC. There may also be conditions where both different types of cancers are found. This type of lung cancer is known as mixed small cell/large cell cancer.