Asbestos exposure can lead to serious, debilitating and often fatal diseases, including lung cancer.

There is no safe level of asbestos exposure, and there usually is a period of 10 to 50 years before an asbestos victim exhibits initial asbestos disease symptoms.

In fact, more than 20 million people in the U.S could be at risk from dying from asbestos damage to their lungs according to an article published in Science Daily.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber that was once valued for its resistance to heat, electrical and chemical damage, and was used by dozens of trades.

With millions of microscopic fibers, asbestos can easily break apart and become airborne and possibly inhaled. Should asbestos fibers be inhaled, they may become lodged in your lungs, potentially leading to lung cancer, mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.

Additionally, because asbestos fibers travel so easily through the air, not only the person working with asbestos-containing products but also bystanders run the risk of inhaling these fibers and developing an asbestos-related disease even decades after exposure.

From the early 1900s through the 1980s, asbestos was used in thousands of different industrial products, including pipe and furnace insulation materials, roofing shingles, floor tiles, millboard, textured paints and other coating materials.

In 1989, the United States banned asbestos in specific products. This ban, however, did not ban the use of asbestos altogether. Additionally, other countries continue to mine asbestos.

As a result, asbestos can still be found in a number of consumer products, including building materials, friction products and heat-resistant fabrics.

Asbestos Exposure and Its Link to Cancer

Science Daily’s article titled Mystery Unraveled: How Asbestos Causes Cancer details the research being done over the past 40 years regarding how asbestos exposure is linked to cancer.

According to the article, the answer can be found in a study conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Hawaii Cancer Research Center, New York University, University of Chicago, University of Pittsburgh, San Raffaele University of Milano, and the Imperial College in London.

These researchers examined how asbestos lung cancer can develop when essentially asbestos fibers if inhaled should be killing cells and dead cells should not be able to form tumors.

They found that while asbestos does kill cells, it does so through a process known as “programmed cell necrosis”.  However, this process can elevate levels of a certain protein, HMGB1, causing it to inflame and promote tumor growth.

Symptoms of Asbestos Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the most common asbestos-related illness. More patients develop lung cancer than any other asbestos-related illness, and lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Common signs and symptoms of asbestos lung cancer include:

• Coughing
• Chronic cough (also called “smoker’s cough”)
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Wheezing
• Hoarseness
• Unexplained weight loss
• Bone pain
• Headache

Patients diagnosed with lung cancer have limited treatment options. Surgery can remove cancerous tissue, while chemotherapy and radiation treatment can kill cancer cells. There are also a number of drugs available that seek to prevent the growth or spread of cancer.

However, the survival rate for lung cancer is low, with less than 20 percent surviving the disease within the first five years. Many treatment options focus on easing symptoms rather than eliminating the cancerous cells.

Your Legal Rights

If a person develops lung cancer because of direct exposure to asbestos or because of indirect contact with asbestos through a family member’s embedded clothing, the parties responsible for the exposure can be held financially liable for the victim’s medical bills, income loss, suffering and other losses.

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with lung cancer or other illnesses caused by exposure to asbestos, you have legal rights. Contact an experienced asbestos lung cancer attorney for a free consultation about your case.