Hundreds of thousands of patients and families have sought compensation for illnesses caused by the negligence of the asbestos industry. Tell your doctor about your history of asbestos exposure and ask them to screen you for related diseases.
If you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is extremely important to get a second opinion from a mesothelioma doctor. You are eligible for compensation if you were exposed to asbestos and develop mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis.
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Read More. What Is Asbestos? Types of Asbestos The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of legally recognizes six types of asbestos that fall into two categories: Amphibole and serpentine. Crocidolite Amosite Anthophyllite Tremolite Actinolite.
This sample from Canada shows the curly structure of chrysotile asbestos. Where Does Asbestos Come From? Asbestos-Related Diseases Scientific studies show exposure to asbestos is linked to several diseases, including cancers.
Find Specialized Treatment Asbestos-related diseases require specialized treatment from experienced doctors. Connect with a Top Doctor. Asbestos Exposure Risks No amount of asbestos exposure is safe, but asbestos generally has the worst effects when a person is exposed to an intense concentration of it, or they are exposed on a regular basis over a long period of time.
Fast Fact Occupational asbestos exposure is the No. Learn about the latest mesothelioma treatments, how to find top doctors and clinical trial eligibility in your free guide. Get Your Free Treatment Guide. Asbestos Products When Americans are exposed to asbestos today, it is usually through renovation or demolition work on an old building that still contains legacy asbestos products. Discontinued asbestos products Vinyl asbestos tiles Asbestos cement Asbestos roofing felt Asbestos adhesives, sealants and coatings Asbestos reinforced plastics.
Learn More About Asbestos Products. Pittsburgh Corning Armstrong World Industries. Learn More About Asbestos Companies. This suggests there is ongoing inhalation exposure of asbestos fibers. Asbestos-related lung cancer kills twice as many Americans each year as mesothelioma.
Unlike mesothelioma, lung cancer develops inside the lungs. Most lung cancer cases trace back to smoking. However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases the risk of developing lung cancer. In , U. The American Cancer Society estimates there were , lung cancer survivors in the U. By , the American Cancer Society expects that number to increase to , Larynx cancer, also known as voice box cancer, usually is linked to smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
However, inhaled asbestos fibers can also lodge in the voice box as they pass through the trachea, or windpipe, on the way to the lungs. In , researchers published a study in Modern Pathology analyzing six laryngeal cancer case studies of workers with a history of occupational asbestos exposure.
The researchers discovered that half of the workers had chrysotile asbestos fibers near the tumor sites. More than 13, cases of laryngeal cancer occurred in , according to the American Cancer Society. Health care providers diagnosed ovarian cancer in more than 22, American women in In some cases, a definitive cause is unknown.
However, recent medical research has established asbestos exposure as one cause of ovarian cancer. A study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine confirmed a definitive relationship between tremolite or anthophyllite asbestos and cosmetic talc products. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has identified other types of cancer strongly associated with asbestos exposure, but research is ongoing to determine if asbestos is the cause.
Asbestos fibers most often lodge in lung tissue and the pleural lining of the lungs. They also migrate into organs and tissues in other areas of the body, leading researchers to study the connection between asbestos and many types of cancer. Partial evidence has linked asbestos with these cancers, but there is not yet strong enough data to conclude asbestos definitively causes these diseases.
Lifestyle factors may increase your risk of developing cancer after asbestos exposure. These include smoking, heavy alcohol use, poor dietary habits and poor physical fitness. Smoking and alcohol use may also cause other types of cancer, such as lung or liver cancer. The pharynx is the membrane-lined cavity behind the nose and mouth and connects them to the esophagus in the throat. Air passes through the pharynx and into the lungs. Food and water also go through this area before reaching the esophagus and stomach.
A research report suggests that asbestos is a possible risk factor for cancers involving the upper airways. Inhaled or swallowed asbestos fibers can accumulate in the pharynx and may later cause pharyngeal cancer. Pharyngeal cancer afflicted about 17, Americans in Although linked to asbestos exposure, the main risk factors are smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. About 28, Americans developed stomach cancer in Infection with Helicobacter pylori bacteria, smoking and a diet heavy in salt, cured meats and preservatives are the main risk factors.
An April scientific report discovered a positive association between occupational talc exposure and risk of stomach cancer. Talc without asbestos fibers did not present any significant risks during the study. Researchers have suggested asbestos-contaminated water may contribute to elevated risks of stomach and other gastrointestinal cancers. Industrial pollution or crumbling asbestos-cement pipes may contaminate water.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer reports a positive association between asbestos exposure and colorectal cancer. Many studies have specifically linked asbestos with cancer in the colon. There is less evidence linking asbestos to rectal cancer. A study in the journal Industrial Health measured mortality ratios among asbestos production industries, including cement workers and textile workers. The study found statistically significant risks of colorectal cancer, confirming an association with asbestos exposure.
Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, a low-fiber diet and a sedentary lifestyle are important risk factors for colorectal cancer. A diet high in processed and red meats also increases risk. Kidney cancer is one of the 10 most common cancers in the U. Experts have linked kidney cancer to heavy metals, herbicides and industrial chemical occupational exposures. Recent studies suggest a potential link to asbestos exposure as well. In , researchers published a case report of a year-old man with a history of kidney disease and occupational asbestos exposure.
The authors suggest that providers consider a kidney biopsy for patients with existing asbestos-related illness and concurrent renal disease. Other risk factors for kidney cancer include smoking, obesity, certain medications and advanced kidney disease. More than 60, Americans were diagnosed with kidney cancer in About 17, cases of esophageal cancer occurred in the U.
This disease arises in the tube that carries food from the mouth and throat into the stomach. Cancer Biology Research. Cancer Genomics Research. Research on Causes of Cancer. Cancer Prevention Research. Cancer Treatment Research. Cancer Health Disparities. Childhood Cancers Research. Global Cancer Research. Cancer Research Infrastructure. Clinical Trials. Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research.
Bioinformatics, Big Data, and Cancer. Annual Report to the Nation. Research Advances by Cancer Type. Stories of Discovery. Milestones in Cancer Research and Discovery. Biomedical Citizen Science.
Director's Message. Budget Proposal. Stories of Cancer Research. Driving Discovery. Highlighted Scientific Opportunities. Research Grants. Research Funding Opportunities. Cancer Grand Challenges. Research Program Contacts. Funding Strategy. Grants Policies and Process. Introduction to Grants Process. NCI Grant Policies. Legal Requirements. Step 3: Peer Review and Funding Outcomes. Manage Your Award. There is no health risk if the asbestos is bonded into intact finished products, such as walls and tiles.
As long as the material is not damaged or disturbed for example, by drilling or remodeling , the fibers are not released into the air. Maintenance workers who sweep up and dispose of the asbestos dust or handle damaged asbestos-containing materials are often exposed to higher levels than other people in these buildings.
Removing asbestos from homes and other buildings can also cause some exposure, although modern asbestos abatement workers are trained to use proper protective equipment to minimize exposure.
Although use of asbestos has declined in the United States, people can still be exposed to asbestos in the workplace. In recent years, the US Occupational Health and Safety Administration OSHA has estimated that over a million American employees in construction and general industries face significant asbestos exposure on the job.
The mining and use of asbestos is also still a health hazard in some other parts of the world. Mining in the Russian Federation, China, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Canada, and Zimbabwe accounts for almost all of the world production of asbestos. Much of what is produced is used in the Russian Federation and other countries in the former Soviet Union and Asia, and its use is on the rise in some areas.
In , the World Health Organization estimated that about million people worldwide were exposed to asbestos at work, despite the known links to cancer and other lung diseases for more than 60 years. In most cases neither type of study provides enough evidence on its own, so researchers usually look at both human and lab-based studies when trying to figure out if something causes cancer. Evidence from studies in both people and lab animals has shown that asbestos can increase the risk for some types of cancer.
When asbestos fibers in the air are inhaled, they can stick to mucus in the throat, trachea windpipe , or bronchi large breathing tubes of the lungs and might be cleared by being coughed up or swallowed. But some fibers reach the ends of the small airways in the lungs or penetrate into the outer lining of the lung and chest wall known as the pleura. These fibers can irritate the cells in the lung or pleura and eventually cause lung cancer or mesothelioma.
Inhalation of asbestos fibers has been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer in many studies of asbestos-exposed workers. In general, the greater the exposure to asbestos, the higher the risk of lung cancer. Most cases of lung cancer in asbestos workers occur at least 15 years after first exposure to asbestos.
In workers exposed to asbestos who also smoke, the lung cancer risk is even greater than adding the risks from these exposures separately. Mesothelioma is a fairly rare form of cancer that most often affects the thin linings of the organs in the chest pleura and abdomen peritoneum. Mesothelioma is closely linked with asbestos exposure. All forms of asbestos have been linked to mesothelioma, although amphibole asbestos appears to cause this cancer at lower levels of exposure than chrysotile asbestos.
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