If inhaled, asbestos is one of the most toxic substances, and the resulting asbestos diseases can result in death.

Mesothelioma, a Rare Asbestos Disease

Mesothelioma is one of the lesser known asbestos diseases.

Mesothelioma cancer is a rare cancer primarily caused by a prolonged exposure to asbestos, usually in the workplace.

Steel yards, ship yards, auto repair shops, old houses, schools and public buildings have the potential to expose people to asbestos.

Mesothelioma lung cancer is the most common type of mesothelioma cancer. Pleural mesothelioma starts in the mesothelial lining of the lungs, called the pleura. Nearly 75 percent of all mesothelioma cases are this type.

Symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent dry cough, persistent chest pain, difficulty swallowing, night sweats/fever, and fatigue.

These symptoms are common with other diseases, which makes mesothelioma cancer difficult to diagnose. X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, PET scans, biopsies and blood tests all can assist in the mesothelioma diagnosis.

Nearly 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States. Although asbestos use in the U.S. has dropped in recent decades, the number of people diagnosed with the rare cancer has remained steady.

Asbestos exposure can take from 20 to 50 years for symptoms to start appearing.

Asbestosis: An Asbestos Disease of the Connective Tissue

Asbestosis is the development of excessive connective tissue within the lungs. This extra tissue tends to create scars and inflammation in and around the lungs and can lead to lung cancer or mesothelioma.

Asbestosis was diagnosed nearly 100 years ago when a woman who worked in an asbestos factory in England suddenly died. An autopsy showed she had excessive connective tissue in her lungs as a result of inhaling asbestos.

The presence of pleural plaques nearly always indicate exposure to asbestos as the cause. There is no cure for this asbestos disease, and victims are more apt to contract pneumonia, the flu and certain forms of cancer.

Lung Cancer: The Best Known Asbestos Disease

Several studies show that exposure to asbestos can be a cause of lung cancer, which can begin from the same type of inflammatory response that ignites mesothelioma.

People who smoke and who also are exposed to asbestos have an exponentially greater chance of developing lung cancer than if they have only one of those factors.

Asbestos Diseases Are Not Curable

All of the asbestos diseases can be treated, but not cured.

An experienced mesothelioma doctor can oversee a protocol that works best for someone with this rare cancer. Mesothelioma specialists can be found in a variety of medical arenas: surgery, radiology, oncology, pathology and palliative care.

There are even treatment centers that concentrate on mesothelioma cancer and take part in critical research of asbestos diseases.

In addition, participating in a class action lawsuit could help replace lost wages, compensate for pain and suffering, pay for treatment and hospitalization and other illness-related costs.

Some companies that mined, manufactured and sold asbestos products are accused of knowing of  the risks of asbestos exposure, but placed profit ahead of the health of their employees.

As of 2011, the Government Accountability Office stated that $36.8 billion remained in asbestos trusts, which was money allocated to compensate victims of asbestos diseases and their families.