While many Americans know asbestos is a dangerous substance, few are aware of the disproportionate impact of asbestos-related cancers on senior citizens. Several factors contribute to the increased risk of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases among seniors, including occupational settings. Exposure to asbestos at the workplace was highest between 1930 and 1960, placing today’s seniors who worked in shipyards, manufacturing and construction at an increased risk for developing an asbestos-related condition.
Another factor that influences the higher incidence rate of asbestos-related diseases among seniors is the long latency period associated with symptoms. After a person is exposed to asbestos, symptoms of mesothelioma can take as long as 50 years to arise. Because of this, the cancer may unknowingly develop for an extended period of time, often resulting in a late mesothelioma diagnosis. Other conditions that may result from asbestos exposure include lung cancer and asbestosis.
A third factor that places seniors at a higher risk for developing an asbestos-related disease is their participation in World War II. The era of this war was a time when asbestos was widely used to support the military. Primarily between the 1930s and the 1970s, every division of the U.S. military used asbestos-containing products for buildings and various types of transportation. Asbestos not only provided a great way to insulate materials but a way to fireproof them as well.
Even though all divisions of the military commonly used asbestos, the Navy found more uses for this heat-resistant mineral than any other division. From the 1930s through the 1980s, more than 300 products imbedded with asbestos were used by the Navy alone. Because of this widespread use, veterans make up a sizable percentage of those coping with asbestos-related disease.
This article was provided by www.asbestos.com. With more than 3,000 pages of content, the site features information on asbestos, mesothelioma, and other cancers that are caused by asbestos exposure (lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, etc.). Unlike other sites, Asbestos.com has achieved HON code approval (Health On the Net (HON) Foundation and is a not-for-profit foundation that works to preserve the accuracy and trustworthiness of Web-based medical information).
Additional information and resources for seniors and their families can be found by visiting: www.For Life’s Next Phase.com.
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