Connect with UMGCC
Email page
Print page
Email page
Print page
Loading
- Patient Care
- Being Admitted
- UMGCC Directory
- Schedule an Appointment
- Ask the Expert
- Patient Education
- Dictionary of Cancer Terms
- Parking, Lodging and Restaurants
- Podcasts
- Audio/Video Library
Related Resources- Center for Image Renewal
- Clinical Trials
- Contact Us
- Patient Web Pages
Home >Information for Patients > Dictionary Index
Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Amianto
Asbestos (as-BES-tus)
A group of minerals that take the form of tiny fibers. Asbestos has been used as insulation against heat and fire in buildings. Loose asbestos fibers breathed into the lungs can cause several serious diseases, including lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma (cancer found in the lining of the lungs, chest, or abdomen). Asbestos that is swallowed may cause cancer of the gastrointestinal tract.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.
Email this Page
Print this Page
If you would like to make an appointment or talk to someone about our services, please call 1-800-888-8823.
Physicians can call our dedicated consultation referral service at 1-800-373-4111.
Physicians can call our dedicated consultation referral service at 1-800-373-4111.
© 2011 University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center. All rights reserved.
22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
