Asbestos lung disease victims have filed legal claims after having been exposed to asbestos while on the job, or at home from second-hand exposure caused by a family member who carried asbestos fibers on their clothing.

Some of these victims have been awarded millions of dollars after having  filed legal claims for their injuries.

Asbestos Lung Disease

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lung cancer is the most prominent cause for cancer death, and is the second most common cancer affecting both men and women in the United States.

There can be almost 200,000 Americans diagnosed with lung cancer every year, and more Americans die from lung cancer than any other kind of cancer. Of these deaths, 4,800 deaths are linked to asbestos lung disease.

According to the CDC, lung cancer occurs when cells of the body multiply and grow out of control. If it begins in the lungs, it is called lung cancer, but it may also spread to other organs of the body such as the brain or lymph nodes. The spreading of cancer from one part of the body to another it is known as metastasis.

There are two types of lung cancers. These are small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Depending on the type, treatment is varied and delivered based on the condition. Non-small lung cancer is also more likely to occur rather than small cell lung cancer.

Most people with lung cancer are frequently diagnosed at a later stage because the symptoms of lung cancer, such as shortness of breath, coughing, and fatigue, are at first mistaken for other causes or conditions.

Roughly 85 percent of people are diagnosed with non-small lung cancer. The types of tumors that account for this lung cancer includes squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma.

Small cell lung cancer accounts for the remaining 15 percent of lung cancers developed by Americans and quickly spreads and develops more swiftly than non-small cell lung cancer. This type of cancer also develops more frequently from smoking rather than non-small cell lung cancer.

Risk factors for lung cancer include smoking, secondhand smoke, radon and other substances such as asbestos, arsenic, diesel exhaust, and forms of chromium and silica.

Asbestos and Lung Disease

According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), asbestos occurs naturally in the environment and is the name given to six different kinds of fibrous minerals.

Asbestos fibers are long, strong, flexible, and heat resistant. They can also be spun and woven due to their flexibility. Due to these characteristics, asbestos has been used in a wide variety of manufactured goods, friction products, and heat-resistant fabrics, coatings, gaskets, and packaging.

Asbestos can be found in building materials such as roofing shingles, paper products, asbestos cement products, and ceiling and floor tiles. Friction products that contain asbestos include automobile brakes, clutch, and transmission parts.

Certain occupations are at higher risks for developing asbestos lung disease. These occupations include:

• U.S. Military
• Shipyards workers
• Auto mechanics
• Paper mill workers
• Construction workers
• Textile workers
• Insulation installers
• Sheet metal workers
• Roofers
• Toll Collectors
• Tilers
• Linotype technicians
• Plumbers