Asbestos and Colon Cancer
Asbestos is a term to describe fibrous materials mined and used for insulation from sound and temperature. This type of material became popular among construction companies in the 1900s since it can resist heat, making it ideal in the manufacture of many construction-related materials in buildings, shipyards, and industrial plants.
There are many forms of asbestos, but all of them are dreaded since they can cause a disease of the lungs called asbestosis. Exposure to asbestos is likewise known to cause another lung disease called mesothelioma.
There are studies suggesting that exposure to asbestos also increases the likelihood of a person getting colorectal cancer. There is still not enough evidence to support these claim.
For instance, there are no widespread studies that proves the connection of inhalation of asbestos fibers to gastrointestinal cancer such as colon or stomach cancers. Small and retrospective studies wherein asbestos workers had increased chances of death from colon cancer merely provides an opportunity to explore the link of this popular building material to cancerous growths.
Main researches that were aimed at raising public awareness on asbestos exposure focused on employees regularly exposed to asbestos like manufactures of acoustic ceiling tiles and installers of insulation. In separate studies that took into account more than 20,000 employees, the results showed that those employees are 1.5 times more likely to get colecteral cancer compared to non-employees. While this may seem like a conclusive evidence of the link between asbestos and colon cancer, the studies are still relatively unfounded. They also fail to establish any causal association between asbestos exposure and cases of cancer. On the other hand small studies focusing on exposure of people to drinking water showed insignificant connections that are considered at part or better than well known cancer links such as smoking.
Yet another reason why there is doubt on the connection of asbestos exposure and colon cancer is the fact that increased exposure may not be enough to increase risk. For example, in cases of lung cancer, the longer any person gets exposed to asbestos, the greater chances of getting lung cancer. This is not the case for asbestos and gastrointestinal cancer.
Also, there are studies involving asbestos and animals in which finding showed no biological ways by which asbestos exposure led to the growth of cancer cells. Thus there is still a need to establish any link between asbestos exposure and colon cancer.
