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Asbestos exposure: challenges for Australian clinicians
Author(s) -
Musk Arthur W Bill,
Klerk Nicholas H,
Nowak Anna K
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/mja15.01072
Subject(s) - citation , library science , law , political science , computer science
Due to the extensive past use of asbestos in Australia, known exposure is common and causes anxiety, especially because of the acknowledged increased risk of thoracic malignancies. With the increasing use of computed tomography for routine diagnostic purposes, more people are being identified with pleural plaques from minor asbestos exposure. This has led to increased concerns about the risks of more serious asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) developing, and has resulted in an increased number of diagnostic tests being performed, even though the presence of pleural plaques is not as such a risk factor for (pleural) malignant mesothelioma (MM) or bronchogenic cancer.1 Nevertheless, anxiety2 and the inability to reduce MM risk following exposure3 or to halt progression of established asbestosis result in significant health care problems and expenditure.