title: Asbestos and the lung in the 21st century: an update.
abstract: The asbestos-related disorders (ARDs) are currently of significant occupational and public health concern. Asbestos usage has been banned in most developed countries, but asbestos is still used in many developing countries and the number of cases of ARDs worldwide is rising. Many countries are now experiencing an epidemic of ARDs that is the legacy of occupational exposure in the 1960s-1980s because of the long latency period between asbestos exposure and manifestation of disease. It is likely that asbestos-related mortality and morbidity will continue to increase. Although the most feared complications of asbestos inhalation are the malignant conditions such as mesothelioma and lung cancer, asbestos inhalation more frequently results in benign conditions such as pleural plaques, diffuse pleural thickening, and asbestosis (pulmonary fibrosis due to asbestos exposure). Over recent years, there have been changes in the epidemiology of mesothelioma, in clinical management of ARDs and developments in new techniques for early detection of malignancy. This review provides an update on the respiratory manifestations of asbestos exposure and also considers advances in screening methods that may affect future management in the workplace.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Respiratory Medicine Department, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Silvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prazakova
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sandrini
authors.forename: Deborah H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yates
mesh_terms: D001195:Asbestosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D003906:Developing Countries; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000209:etiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010994:Pleura / Q000473:pathology; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000209:etiology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: asbestos; asbestosis; diffuse pleural thickening; epidemiology; exposure; mesothelioma; pleural plaques