Asbestosis Cancer Glossary

• Asbestos - incombustible, chemical-resistant, fibrous mineral forms of impure magnesium silicate, used for fireproofing, electrical insulation, building materials, brake linings, and chemical filters.
  
  
• Asbestos bodies - inhaled asbestos fibril particles that are coated with iron-containing mucoprotein and imbedded in lung tissue.
  
  
• Asbestosis - diffuse pulmonary fibrosis caused by the inhalation of asbestos particles.

• Cancer - general term for a large group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells.
  
  
• Coughing - an early, non-specific symptom of asbestosis is a dry cough, sometimes associated with chest pains.
  
  
• Imaging - method used to produce a picture of internal body structures, often used in mesothelioma diagnosis.
  
  
• Latency period - the time between exposure and the development of symptoms.
  
  
• Malignant Mesothelioma -a cancer occurring in the sac lining of the chest or abdomen or the lining of the heart.
  
  
• Oncologist - a doctor, within the branch of oncology, with special training in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
  
  
• Oncology - the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
  
  
• Pericardial Mesothelioma - a cancer in the thin lining of tissue that surrounds the heart, called the pericardium.
  
  
• Peritoneal Mesothelioma - a cancer located in the stomach lining.
  
  
• Pleural Mesothelioma - a cancer that is found in the sac lining of the chest, covering areas around the lungs and inside the ribs.
  
  
• Restrictive Lung Disease - reduces the lung's elasticity and thus reduces all volumes and capacities of the lungs.
  

• Staging - The stage of a cancer is a term used to describe its size and whether it has spread beyond its original site