Lung Cancer After Asbestos Exposure | What to Expect

Asbestos exposure can take place in various situations, and the outcome of asbestos exposure may take on a variety of medical conditions, both malignant and non-malignant. However, one of the most common diseases that occurs in people who have been exposed to asbestos is lung cancer. It’s important to know this, but where do we go from there? Here’s what to expect and how to navigate being diagnosed with lung cancer after asbestos exposure.

Asbestos Exposure and Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is caused by a variety of factors, ranging from potential genetic considerations to various health-related dynamics in a person’s life such as a history of smoking. But alongside these considerations, occupational exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens also ranks high on the list. 

Asbestos-related lung cancer produces a degrading effect on the human body because it represents the aftermath of what happens when asbestos fibers make their way inside us. Navigating life post-asbestos exposure can be daunting, especially when grappling with the looming specter of asbestos-related lung cancer. Understanding the potential outcomes and knowing what to expect are crucial steps in coping with this diagnosis.

Understanding Secondary Asbestos Exposure

It is important to realize one of the most basic truths about asbestos exposure: All available research concludes that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. Even brief forms of asbestos exposure can lead to detrimental health effects. What makes secondary exposure different from other types of exposure is not whether it can lead to the same kinds of health risks. It certainly can. The difference simply has to do with how the exposure to asbestos takes place. 

Failure to Warn: Why the Asbestos Industry Was Held Liable

In the earlier history of asbestos use, workers were never told that asbestos posed a direct health risk. Despite the widespread use of asbestos, manufacturers have known for almost 100 years that asbestos could lead to the development of breathing problems and other negative health effects. Despite this knowledge, these companies continued to use asbestos and expose workers to this mineral, which is known widely today as a carcinogen. Instead of telling the public the truth or stopping the use of asbestos, these companies looked to legal options to protect themselves once the truth came out about asbestos. One such result is the creation of asbestos Trusts. These trust funds provide compensation for those who have developed asbestos-related illnesses due to exposure.  

How Asbestos Increases the Risks of Lung Cancer

The connection between asbestos exposure and the risk of lung cancer can be understood by considering several factors. First, asbestos has been sufficiently determined as a carcinogen, meaning that it is known to cause cancer. Of these cancers, the type most directed attributed to asbestos is mesothelioma, however, lung cancer represents the highest number of cancer cases related to asbestos exposure.

Second, metastasis (spreading of cancer to other organs) can occur in the event of asbestos-related cancer developing in one organ in the body and spreading to other organs, including the lungs. Third, the evidence pointing toward lung cancer and asbestos exposure dates back as far as the knowledge of asbestos-related health concerns altogether, with the first two published cases occurring in 1935.

Contributing Factors

One of the most recent publications concerning asbestos-related lung cancer occurred in 2020, with an Indonesian case study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The research concluded that there seemed to be a conclusive link between asbestos exposure and lung cancer. However, the research also concluded that the added risk of smoking should be taken into account.

Cigarettes + Asbestos = Lung Cancer 

Smoking is a very high-risk factor for lung cancer in general, but adding asbestos exposure into the equation can greatly increase lung cancer risks, and vice versa. For example, smoking and asbestos exposure can increase the likelihood of lung cancer by up to 50%! 

Smoking can lead to the suppression of the body’s immune response, which can cripple the body from being able to attack asbestos fibers that can become lodged in the lungs. Smoking can also damage lung tissue, making them more susceptible to damage from asbestos fibers.

When asbestos fibers interact with compounds found in cigarette smoke, they can increase the risk of lung cancer. This is known as epigenetic changes or DNA and RNA alterations related to asbestos and lung cancer. 

Receiving Needed Treatment

Current research shows that exposure to asbestos fibers (including occupational and secondary exposure) can lead to various developments in the body that contribute to the formation of lung cancer. In fact, this analysis is so prevalent, that researchers say ‘Asbestos Exposure is the most important cause of mortality from on-the-job lung cancer.’ They recommend that former asbestos workers and their household members who are currently 50 and older should be screened for asbestos scarring.

Financial support for your lung cancer treatment

But suppose you have already received the sobering diagnosis of asbestos-related lung cancer. What should your next steps be? First, it is important to know that there are premier medical facilities dedicated to treating lung cancer patients. There are a variety of treatment types when it comes to providing care for various asbestos-related cancers and illnesses and choosing the right kind of facility will ensure that you have access to the best and most promising forms of treatment.

But even lifelong smokers can recover compensation

While it is clear that there are additional contributing factors that can lead to the development of lung cancer in connection with asbestos exposure (smoking being the top of the list), it is important to know that even if you are a life-long smoker, you are not disqualified from financial compensation to help you get the treatment you need. 

There are a range of medical signs and symptoms that point to asbestos exposure, but you’ll need to reach out to a medical professional to be able to determine this conclusively. If you have been exposed to asbestos, reach out to the good folks at AsbestosClaims.law who can help you determine what kind of financial compensation you may qualify for. 

Costly treatment shouldn’t have to come out of your pocket, and it shouldn’t require you to go through the pains of appearing in court either. Find out how you can qualify for fast and easy compensation without the need to file a lawsuit by reaching out to us today.