Asbestos Lung Cancer

Asbestos exposure causes lung cancer. Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as fibers and are used in certain industries. Asbestos fibers tend to break easily into particles that can float in the air and stick to clothes where they can expose others in the home. When clothing that has asbestos is washed, the fibers and dust can be inhaled by the person washing the clothes, or others nearby. When the particles are inhaled, they can lodge in the lungs, damaging cells and increasing the risk for lung cancer.

Clinical Studies

Studies have shown that workers who have been exposed to large amounts of asbestos have a risk of developing lung cancer that is 3 to 4 times greater than that for workers who have not been exposed to asbestos. This asbestos exposure has been observed in such industries as shipbuilding, asbestos mining, manufacturing, insulation work, and brake repair.

Asbestos and Other Carcinogens

People who have been exposed to asbestos and are also exposed to other carcinogens, such as those in cigarette smoke, have a significantly greater risk of developing lung cancer than people who have only been exposed to asbestos alone. One study indicates that asbestos workers who smoke are about 90 times more likely to develop lung cancer than people who neither smoke nor have been exposed to asbestos.