AboutMesothelioma.Net

Every year, 2,000 to 3,000 Americans die of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen that develops from inhaling microscopic asbestos fibers. Asbestos also contributes to countless thousands of additional deaths from lung cancer every year.

Breathing asbestos increases the likelihood of developing mesothelioma and lung cancer and other non-malignant respiratory diseases such as asbestosis, according to cancer experts. According to the National Cancer Society, approximately one in seven people who suffer from asbestosis, a chronic scarring of the lung caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos, eventually develop lung cancer. The higher the exposure to asbestos, the higher the risk of lung cancer.

Researchers have identified a number of factors that contribute to the development of cancer in non-smokers. Asbestos tops the lists. Non-smoking asbestos workers face a five-fold risk of developing lung cancer as compared to other non-smokers, according to an article in The New York Times.

The risk is magnified in asbestos workers who smoke. Smokers who have been exposed to asbestos face a far higher risk of developing lung cancer. Smoking acts with asbestos to greatly enhance the risk of cancer.

Asbestos has been used in thousands of products such as roofing shingles, water supply pipes, plastic fillers as well as clutches, brake linings and gaskets for motor vehicles. In recent decades, the use of asbestos has declined since the late 1970s, and more than 40 countries have banned the use of all forms of asbestos. Today, asbestos is restricted in the United States, but not banned. People may still be exposed during demolition or remodeling of buildings containing asbestos or in workplaces that still use asbestos. Some occupations such as demolition workers, plumbers and pipe fitters have a higher risk of exposure and higher likelihood of developing asbestos-related disease.