Short Answer: Possibly, but the connection is still unclear. 

Health research has shown that asbestos can be a risk factor for digestive diseases like stomach and colorectal cancer. The data is not as conclusive for prostate cancer. However, some studies suggest that it does, so scientists are still researching whether asbestos can specifically cause prostate cancer.

Asbestos Can Be a Potential Risk for Digestive Diseases Including Cancer

Scientists are Still Researching Whether Asbestos Can Cause Prostate Cancer

Asbestos was once a mainstay of American industry, used to fortify and insulate everything from automotive brakes to roof shingles and wall paint. Today, we know that asbestos poses an incredible health hazard. People who mined asbestos, worked with asbestos, and lived near asbestos have an increased risk for serious illnesses, up to and including cancer. 

While scientists are still trying to understand the full extent of asbestos’s danger, recent studies suggest that asbestos exposure could cause prostate cancer. 

The Many Dangers of the Miracle Mineral 

Asbestos is a term used to refer to six different types of naturally occurring minerals, all of which can be broken down into tiny, microscopic fibers. These fibers are incredibly strong, resilient, and heat-resistant. Asbestos’s durability led to its wide-ranging use in industry, with manufacturers hailing it as a “miracle mineral.” 

However, asbestos’s strength is what makes it so dangerous. When asbestos crumbles or goes airborne, it is easily inhaled. Over time, asbestos fibers can accumulate inside the lungs, infiltrating the respiratory system and prompting an aggressive immune response. Unfortunately, the body cannot easily eradicate asbestos; the fibers could cause scarring, inflammation, and cancerous growths. 

Asbestos-Related Illnesses Include Asbestosis and Several Types of Cancer

Asbestos is responsible for a range of medical disorders and diseases, including but not limited to: 

Emerging evidence suggests that asbestos exposure could also cause or contribute to prostate cancer, which is among the most common cancers diagnosed in American men. 

Asbestos and Prostate Cancer 

Researchers have spent decades investigating the potential correlation between asbestos exposure and prostate cancer. Studies conducted between the 1980s and the 1990s provided limited evidence that occupational asbestos exposure increased individual male workers’ risk. Another large-scale review of cancer rates in the Finnish asbestos industry showed that employees—male and female alike—were significantly more likely to develop potentially life-threatening diseases than the general population. 

The American College of Chest Physicians also investigated asbestos infiltration, examining the bodies of 37 people who died from asbestos-related pulmonary disorders. Doctors found that, when asbestos fibers or residue were located in the lungs, they were often found in other organs, too. Of the 14 prostate samples analyzed, just under half contained traces of asbestos. 

Recent Studies on the Health Hazards of Asbestos

A more recent analysis of global studies considered asbestos-related research publications from a variety of countries, including: 

  • The United States;
  • Canada;
  • Belgium;
  • Germany;
  • Russia;
  • China; and
  • Japan. 

While the literature review tried to determine the risk of prostate cancer via asbestos inhalation and oral ingestion, there was insufficient evidence to suggest that oral ingestion could cause or contribute to prostate cancer. However, this does not mean that the oral ingestion of asbestos is not a potential risk factor. On the contrary, there are several types of gastrointestinal cancers tied to asbestos exposure, including stomach and colon cancer.

Although the researchers admitted their study has limitations, they concluded that asbestos exposure does seem to increase men’s risk for prostate cancer. 

Treatment Options for Asbestos-Induced Prostate Cancer 

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed among men of all ages. 

Fortunately, the variety of available treatment options for prostate cancer means that most men make full medical recoveries. The treatment options for prostate cancer include: 

  • Surveillance. Low-grade prostate cancer does not always require immediate attention. If your physician believes that aggressive treatment is unnecessary, they may simply recommend regular check-ups. If the cancerous growth remains limited in size and does not spread to other organs, further intervention may not be needed.
  • Surgery. If the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate, a surgeon could remove the prostate gland and surrounding tissue. 
  • Radiation therapy. Radiotherapy uses high-powered X-ray beams to selectively target and kill cancer cells. 
  • Tissue treatments. When surgery is not possible and the cancer is not considered high-risk, doctors can freeze or heat prostate to gradually destroy a tumor and surrounding tissue. While these cyclic tissue treatments are usually employed for low-grade cancers, they are sometimes used to supplement other remedies if a tumor is non-responsive to other interventions. 
  • Hormone therapy. Hormone therapy can curtail or prevent the body’s natural production of testosterone. In some cases, restricted testosterone production can cause cancer cells to either die or grow at a slower pace. 
  • Chemotherapy. If prostate cancer does not respond to hormone therapy, cancer-fighting chemotherapeutic medications may be administered. Chemotherapy is often employed if and when prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body. 

While prostate cancer tends to have better outcomes than other cancers, it can still take a significant financial toll on individuals and families; the initial care following a prostate cancer diagnosis can cost up to $15,000, the majority of which may be borne by the patient. 

Men who require longer-term treatment are subject to further expenses—expenses which could rapidly accumulate, driving even financially stable patients to the brink of financial ruin. 

Even if you, or a loved one, have a comprehensive health insurance plan, you may still have to meet a deductible and cover other out-of-pocket payments. In a worst-case scenario, men with prostate cancer might have to take away money from their retirement fund or their children’s inheritance to afford high-quality treatment. 

The asbestos industry spent decades telling the American public that its products were safe—safe to work with, safe to use, safe to take home, and safe to live around. 

However, we know today that asbestos is anything but safe. The federal government has passed several acts allowing the victims of the asbestos industry to claim compensation for asbestos-related damages. Depending on the circumstances of your illness and other injuries, you could be entitled to relief for: 

  • Your past, present, and anticipated medical expenses 
  • Experimental cancer treatments 
  • Lost income 
  • Diminished earning potential 
  • Emotional pain and suffering 
  • Loss of enjoyment
  • Loss of companionship
  • Disability 

If you have been injured by the asbestos industry, you do not have to suffer in silence. You could have options for recompense, including but not limited to: 

  • Filing a personal injury lawsuit 
  • An insurance settlement 
  • Claiming funds from an asbestos trust 









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If you may have been exposed to asbestos, speak with your healthcare provider about tests and screening to help detect the presence of asbestos fibers and asbestos-related damage.

























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AsbestosClaims.law is your comprehensive resource for all things asbestos. We hope this information is helpful.





If you have any additional questions or concerns related to asbestos, check out our website and YouTube page for videos, infographics and answers to your questions about asbestos, including health and safety, asbestos testing, removing asbestos from your home and building, and legal information about compensation for asbestos injuries.





And if you believe that you were exposed to asbestos, or have been diagnosed with an asbestos illness, you could be entitled to significant compensation—money you could use to cover the costs of asbestos removal services, pay for medical treatment, and preemptively protect your physical well-being. 





All without filing a lawsuit.





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