Asbestos Related Lung Cancer
Mesothelioma isn’t the only cancer caused by asbestos exposure.
Each year, lung cancer claims more lives than breast, prostate and colon cancers combined. Despite this, lung cancer is frequently under-funded and misunderstood.
Though smoking is a known cause of lung cancer, new studies have shown that a growing number of lung cancer cases are likely linked to environmental contaminants, such as asbestos. The 2008-2009 President’s Cancer Panel’s annual report focused on the connection between environmental toxins and cancer, the rising number of environmentally-related cancers and the need for further investigation of environmental toxins that cause cancer. Most importantly, the report calls for stronger regulations for environmental contaminants, full disclosure to workers and the public about what they are being exposed to, safer alternatives and a greater understanding among medical professionals about occupational and environmental attributers to cancer in order to more accurately diagnose patients.
Lung cancer has often been stereotyped as the "smoking cancer", the "you-had-it-coming" cancer. But this is far from the truth. There has been a recent rise in the number of new lung cancer diagnoses in nonsmokers, particularly in women. Nearly 200 women die each day from lung cancer, most within just one year of diagnosis. Many of these women never smoked.
How do I know that my lung cancer was caused by asbestos?
If you have a history of heavy asbestos exposure, it’s likely that your lung cancer is connected to that exposure. However, if you’re not sure, watch out for these other indicators of asbestos exposure. They include:
- Pleural Plaque – deposits of fibrous tissue that develop in the chest cavity from asbestos exposure and are usually found along the membrane that lines the chest wall. Pleural plaques are the most common symptom of asbestos exposure and are benign with little impact on a person’s health.
- Pleural Thickening – thickening of the pleural wall as a result of scarring or inflammation in the pleura, which usually makes breathing more difficult.
- Interstitial Fibrosis – lung disease that occurs when scar tissue forms in the space between the lungs’ air sacs. Symptoms include difficulty breathing and dry cough.
If you were exposed to asbestos and smoked, that does not mean that smoking was completely responsible for your lung cancer. Keep in mind: the fact that you smoked does not prevent you from seeking legal compensation for lung cancer related to asbestos.
