Asbestos is one cause of lung cancer that can be exceedingly difficult to diagnose and treat, in part because of the lengthy latency period involved. In most cases, it can be years, or even decades between initial exposure to asbestos and the manifestation of symptoms.

Asbestos lung cancer is relatively rare; four-fifths of lung cancer cases in the U.S. are attributable to tobacco use. However, tobacco can greatly increase the risk of developing asbestos lung cancer if a person has worked around the substance or otherwise been exposed.

What Are the Symptoms of Asbestos Lung Cancer?

Regardless of the cause, all cases of lung cancer eventually manifest the same symptoms. These include:

• shortness of breath
• chest pain
• a nagging cough, especially one that produces blood

These symptoms may be accompanied by chronic fatigue, unexplained weight loss, and a pallid complexion.

How Does Asbestos Cause Lung Cancer?

In the end, it boils down to chronic inflammation. How this happens depends on the type of asbestos exposure, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. In the case of the most common type of asbestos, known as serpentine or “white” asbestos, the fibers enter the lungs, where there cause abrasions and irritation of the tissues lining the air passages. Medical scientists believe the resultant inflammation contributes to DNA mutations that lead to the formation of malignancy.

There is a second type of asbestos, known as amphibole (also identified as “blue” or “brown” asbestos). These fibers are shaped like microscopic needles and can drill right through lung tissue from the inside out. This also causes chronic inflammation that can result in DNA damage that leads to asbestos lung cancer. Less often, the fibers drill all the way through to the outside of the organ and affect the visceral lining, causing a form of cancer known as mesothelioma.

Is Mesothelioma a Form of Asbestos Lung Cancer?

Not exactly, although oncologists prior to the 1960s mistook it as such. As noted earlier, mesothelioma attacks the visceral lining, or the tissues between the lung surface and the inner lining of the chest. Mesothelioma can also attack the lining surrounding the gastrointestinal tract and pelvic organs.

What is the Latency Period for Asbestos Cancer?

Again, this varies from one patient to another. For asbestos to cause lung cancer is a lengthy and gradual process; several decades can elapse between initial exposure to asbestos and the appearance of symptoms. However, if the exposure was extreme, asbestos cancer can develop much faster. For example, one 9/11 first responder contracted mesothelioma and died within 5 years; normally, it takes 25-50 years to kill a patient.

Unfortunately, because of the long latency periods, asbestos cancer is usually not diagnosed until it is in an advanced stage.

How Are People Exposed to Asbestos?

Many times, people are exposed to asbestos on their jobs. Shipbuilders, construction workers, auto mechanics, electricians and insulators are all types of occupations that could include working with asbestos-based materials.

When something such as a floor or ceiling tile is made of asbestos, it’s not dangerous until it becomes crumbly, such as when it is removed or renovated. The tiny asbestos particles become friable, which means they flake away easily and are so light that they can become airborne. Sometimes, the pieces of asbestos are so small, they cannot be seen by the naked eye, but they can inhaled into the lungs or swallowed.

Changes in how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates asbestos resulted in Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra leading the filing of a lawsuit against the EPA last year. Eleven state attorneys general agreed that the EPA was failing to require chemical industries to submit information on asbestos that would help regulate the carcinogen and better protect communities from health risks that cause lung cancer and mesothelioma.

In a press release, Attorney General Healey said she urged the court to order the EPA to issue a new rule that would protect children, families and workers from asbestos.

“It is widely acknowledged that asbestos is one of the most harmful and toxic chemicals known to humankind,” said Attorney General Becerra. “While it’s troubling that we must once again take the EPA to court to force the agency to do its job, we won’t pull any punches. There’s too much as stake to let the EPA ignore the danger that deadly asbestos poses to our communities, including to workers and children.”

Are There Other Asbestos Illnesses?

Asbestosis is a non-malignant, progressive disease caused by scarring of the air passages, and is far more common than asbestos cancer. A form of pulmonary fibrosis, asbestosis is incurable, but can be treated with medication and supplementary oxygen.