The link between asbestos and lung cancer has been documented for years, but people continue to learn about the connection. Since asbestos lung cancer has a decades-long latency period, people exposed to asbestos years ago are just now being diagnosed with cancer associated with the exposure.

It can be hard to make the connection between asbestos and a lung cancer diagnosis when the asbestos exposure was so many years ago. But as people become more aware of this link, a growing number are filing lawsuits over asbestos exposure.

Many individuals have filed lawsuits against former employers for failing to warn about the risks of asbestos exposure and lung cancer in jobs like construction work, which often involve exposure to asbestos.

The medical community has known and warned about the link between asbestos and lung cancer for over twenty years. Indeed, way back in 1986 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) announced that lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure was, in fact, the chemical’s most significant risk. Even before that, since at least the 1930s, documentation of the asbestos and lung cancer connection has been in the public space.

It can take decades for lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos to develop, but once it does, it can spread rapidly throughout the body. The long latency period and rapid rate of development often means that lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure isn’t diagnosed until it has reached a later and more dangerous stage.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral used for commercial purposes such as electrical or building insulation, as well as countless other uses. The microscopic fibers of asbestos, when released into the air, are breathed in. Once this occurs,  it can accumulate in the lungs, causing lung cancer.

Asbestos exposure can cause several critical health problems, the worst of which is lung cancer. Once that happens, the cancer can quickly spread to distant organs.

Construction workers make up a large number of those who file lawsuits over asbestos and lung cancer, as construction work often involves being constantly surrounded by products and equipment made with asbestos. Sawing and cutting asbestos products makes asbestos fibers even more likely to be released into the air and into a worker’s lungs. In many cases, workers may be without proper protection or even warning of the dangers of asbestos and lung cancer.

Determining whether a patient’s cancer diagnosis is lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure is left down to a few specific criteria: first, that the latency period is ten years or more, and second, that a higher than normal amount of asbestos fiber is found in the lung tissue, indicating asbestosis.

Filing an Asbestos Lung Cancer Lawsuit

According to many lawsuits filed over asbestos and lung cancer, companies that allow workers to be exposed to asbestos should have been aware of the dangerous nature of their asbestos-containing materials. Companies should also be aware of its ability to cause disease, cancer, and its fatality rate.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with or died from lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure, you may be able to file an asbestos lawsuit. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by exposure to asbestos and lung cancer, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden from medical expenses and lost wages.