Asbestos lung cancer is one of the rarer types of lung cancer, the greatest cause of death resulting from cancer in the U.S. Asbestos is the cause of about 4% of deaths associated with cancer in the lungs in the U.S. every year. Moreover, 90% of deaths due to lung cancer are the result of smoking.

According to a report, the lung cancer and asbestos exposure relationship was discovered in 1935, when medical researchers made their first discovery of the likely causal correlation. The National Cancer Institute, roughly seven years later, confirmed the correlation of lung cancer and asbestos, and numerous studies, thereafter, continued to illustrate the causal relationship between the two.

Reports confirm that a diagnosis of lung cancer and asbestos is typically verified at a later stage in development due to the long latency period of asbestos exposure, disease development and the onset of symptoms.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. It has been used since the 1800’s and has been used in the U.S. for many industrial purposes and in several consumer products.

At this point, however, federal government agencies have recognized asbestos as a human carcinogen. This is also because when an individual is exposed to asbestos, the product releases microscopic fibers into the air, and the fibers become trapped into the lungs. These fibers can then accumulate in the person’s lungs, causing inflammation and other adverse health effects and complications. Thus, the fibers can then instigate the development of lung cancer.

Lung Cancer and Asbestos Exposure

Symptoms of asbestos exposure are not immediate. Additionally, whether a lung cancer and asbestos exposure history develops depends on an individual’s genetics, health, habits, and how long asbestos exposure had lasted for.

Some occupations also increase the risks of developing asbestos lung cancer. These occupations include any place where workers are in a confined area and where asbestos is present. Some of these occupations include: auto mechanics; insulation installer; tilers; paper mill workers; sheet metal workers; linotype technicians; construction workers; roofers; plumbers; textile workers; and toll collectors.

The lung cancer and asbestos exposure latency period is long. From the time a person is first exposed to asbestos, it takes time, roughly 15-35 years for the cancer to develop. Studies illustrate that the period of latency is affected by the amount of exposure, level, and if the person is exposed to other co-carcinogens, such as cigarettes.

Lung cancer and asbestos exposure history begins quite some time after the asbestos fibers reach the lungs. Once the fibers are inhaled, they attach to the tissue of the lungs due to their jagged-like structure. The asbestos fibers then cause genetic damage, irritation, and inflammation. Thereafter, the formation of a tumor begins.

In order for physicians to properly diagnose the development of lung cancer and asbestos exposure history, at least 10 years must have passed from initial exposure to the cancer development.