This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Go to /pro/cpd-dashboard page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. CPD dashboard

Go to /account/subscription-details page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. Upgrade to Pro

Asbestosis

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Asbestosis is a pneumoconiosis caused by inhalation of asbestos fibres, classically causing a chronic, diffuse, interstitial fibrosis of the lung (1). Crocidolite - blue asbestos - is the most important type of asbestos in the aetiology of asbestosis and particularly, pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma.

Asbestos exposure increases the risk of bronchogenic carcinoma 5-fold. In exposed cigarette smokers, the risk is increased 55-fold (2). An asbestos-related increase is also observed in the incidence of gastric, colonic and renal adenocarcinoma, and of gastrointestinal lymphomas.

Under the UK Social Security Act of 1975 various conditions caused by asbestos exposure are eligible for industrial compensation, including bilateral diffuse pleural thickening, asbestosis, mesothelioma and asbestos related carcinoma of the bronchus.

Reference:

  1. Bhandari J, Thada PK, Sedhai YR. Asbestosis. [Updated 2021 Oct 26]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555985/
  2. Hammond EC, Selikoff IJ, Seidman H. Asbestos exposure, cigarette smoking and death rates. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1979;330:473-90. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1979.tb18749.x. PMID: 294198.

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.