I can see why people think that cancer of the lung lining is the same as lung cancer however, the truth of the matter is they are very different. Cancer in the lining of the lung is found in an area inside a patient's body that is called mesothelium. The mesothelium is a very thin lining that surrounds numerous internal organs. It works like a membrane.
A more commonly used term for cancer of lung lining is mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. The symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath. Unfortunately, in the majority of new cancer of lung lining diagnoses, the disease has already spread further to other areas in the body, primarily the lungs, lymph nodes and the bones. In other words, it is already at an advanced stage and therefore more difficult to treat.
This is because mesothelioma patients often only show symptoms many years or even decades after their cancer started to grow. Lung lining cancer has a rather poor long term prognosis. The treatments are targeted to provide the patient with an improved quality of life.
Mainly men are affected by this illness, especially if they used to work in the asbestos production industry. Asbestos was liberally used as a construction and insulation material up until the 1980s. That’s when medical experts issued warnings, indicating a drastic increase in new lung lining cancer - or mesothelioma – diagnoses. Unfortunately, many employers did not take the alarming signals seriously enough and continued to have their employees getting in contact with this toxic material on a daily basis. Nowadays, safety standards have changed and the law enforced employers to provide their workers with adequate state of the art protection gear.
But also homeowners might be at risk. Especially if their house was built before 1970. Therefore, it might be a good idea to hire a professional asbestos testing company and have the house and its surroundings tested on toxic materials. Some people might consider doing the testing themselves – test kits are available online and in home supply stores – however, I personally believe that it is safer to have the job done by an expert.
An asbestos removal company has all the tools and gear that are required to not only test your house on asbestos, but also remove the material quickly and safely if you decide to do so. And with regard to the costs, it is definitely less expensive to hire someone do get rid of what can potentially cause you harm, rather than dealing with the costs for cancer of the lung lining treatments.
