As more research identifies a possible connection between asbestos and lung cancer, the EPA has issued a new rule that could severely limit the product’s use in the U.S.

The link between asbestos and lung cancer could lead plenty of people who have worked in environments in which they were exposed to asbestos to reevaluate their health risks and consult with their physicians.

Is Asbestos Banned?

On April 17, the Environmental Protection Agency recently announced what’s been called a practically complete ban on the importing and manufacturing of asbestos. The new rule would expand EPA’s ability to closely review a long list of asbestos products that have already been taken off the U.S. market before they can be put back on the market.

A partial ban has been in place in the United States for several decades and the EPA is currently identifying the limited circumstances in which asbestos is still used.

The new EPA asbestos rule that was proposed last summer had to do with concerns raised by safety advocates about allowing manufacturers and importers to apply for an EPA permit to bring the item into the United States.

The EPA says they do not have the authority for a total ban and that the significant new use rule is the best option for regulation of a material that has been associated with many serious side effects. Asbestos and lung cancer is one such connection that has been raised in numerous lawsuits over recent years.

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been linked to human lung diseases. Any form of asbestos increases the risk of lung disease when the fibers are released into the atmosphere or brought home on a person’s clothing.

There are three primary types of asbestos related diseases including lung cancer. The other two are scarring, known as asbestosis, or non cancerous disease of the tissue of the lining of the surface of the lungs, referred to as pleural disease. Asbestos is also the only known risk factor for malignant mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the tissue lining the lung or the abdomen.

How Do Asbestos and Lung Cancer Connect?

Researchers have explored for the past four decades why asbestos causes cancer.

More than 20 million people in the United States and many more around the world who have been exposed to asbestos are at risk for developing mesothelioma. Asbestos exposure can also significantly increase the risk of lung cancer, especially among those people who smoke.

A study published in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that when asbestos kills cells, it does so by beginning the process known as programmed cell necrosis. This leads to the release of a molecule which begins an inflammatory reaction that promotes more growth. Patients who have been exposed to asbestos have higher levels of this molecule in their system.

What Should I Do If I Have Recently Been Diagnosed with Lung Cancer?

If you have recently been diagnosed with lung cancer and are wondering if it has to do with your previous exposure to asbestos, be aware that many asbestos-related lung diseases occur many years or even decades after the patient was exposed to asbestos fibers.

Asbestos exposure could have occurred on the job and could even affect people at home with secondary exposure if those asbestos fibers came home on the person’s clothes. If you or loved ones may have suffered exposure to asbestos, an experienced attorney may be able to help you recover medical costs from past employers.