A Comprehensive Guide to Asbestos-Related Cancers

Asbestos-related cancers are equally serious and debated among researchers. What’s more, the asbestos industry commonly tries to downplay the link between certain types of cancer and asbestos exposure. That’s why it’s important to break down what we know about asbestos-related cancers, what cancers are supported by research, and what cancers are still up for debate. Here’s a comprehensive guide to understanding asbestos-related cancers.

What We Know About Asbestos and Cancer

“All forms of asbestos are carcinogenic to humans.” This statement says a lot about how we should think about asbestos. As a carcinogen, asbestos is poisonous to the human body, causing significant damage to a wide range of organs and leading to a wide range of illnesses, both malignant and non-malignant. When inhaled or swallowed, asbestos fibers attach themselves to organs and tissues in the boy, lying dormant for decades. 

During this latency period, asbestos fibers form iron coatings, leading to the formation of asbestos bodies. To put it another way, when free radicals oxidize important components of the cell, those components lose their ability to function normally, and the accumulation of such damage may cause the cell to die. Numerous studies indicate that increased production of free radicals causes or accelerates nerve cell injury and leads to disease.

The Variety of Asbestos-Related Cancers

It isn’t always clear how someone is exposed to asbestos, or what the entry point into the human body is. Because of this variety of circumstances, asbestos leads to a wide range of diseases. Here are some of the most common types of asbestos-related cancer, in no particular order

Mesotelioma

Not everyone who inhales a single fiber of asbestos will get mesothelioma, but high exposure for a short period can cause asbestos diseases like mesothelioma, even if a person was exposed at a younger age. The latency of enfermedades relacionadas con el asbesto is such that it can take 20-50 years.

This type of cancer is the most aggressive of all forms of asbestos-related cancer. The label “mesothelioma” can be misleading, because mesothelioma is a banner term, used to describe at least four different kinds of cancer. In the interest of asbestos-causing mesothelioma, the most common type is pleural mesothelioma. This type of cancer is the cancer of the protective tissue called the mesothelium around the lungs. Almost all cases of mesothelioma are caused by asbestos exposure, which is why this type of cancer is used almost interchangeably with asbestos. 

Sadly, mesothelioma is very aggressive, and there is no known cure currently available. While some cases of mesothelioma include patients going on to live well beyond the life expectancy, the most common prognosis of mesothelioma includes a survival rate of only one to two years after diagnosis is confirmed.

Cáncer de pulmón

In a closely related yet distinct category, lung cancer is also one of the most common types of asbestos cancer after mesothelioma. These two types of cancer are distinct, however. Whereas pleural mesothelioma is cancer surrounding the protective tissue of the lungs, lung cancer is a malignant disease inside the lungs themselves. In many cases, those who are diagnosed with lung cancer following asbestos exposure may also contract non-malignant diseases either before lung cancer or simultaneously with lung cancer, such as pleural plaques, asbestosis, and COPD.

Lung cancer represents the most common type of cancer associated with asbestos exposure, and although pleural plaques and other non-malignant diseases are not precursors to lung cancer, evidence suggests that people with pleural disease caused by exposure to asbestos may be at increased risk for lung cancer. Compared to mesothelioma it is estimated that asbestos exposure causes six times more lung cancer than malignant mesothelioma,7 and mesothelioma deaths are estimated to be 38,400 per year worldwide. With these facts in mind, it is easy to see why so much material related to asbestos and cancer are dominated by mesothelioma and lung cancer. Both represent a significant threat in the broader consideration of asbestos. 

The lungs especially are a common entry point for asbestos fibers, since these microscopic fibers are normally breathed in on the job site, in a contaminated area, or even in the home where asbestos-containing materials are damaged, exposing the fibers to unsuspecting victims.

Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer Research

Most medical research has been dedicated to mesothelioma and lung cancer, making these the easiest to link to asbestos exposure, as well as the most common diseases behind asbestos litigation and company lawsuits. The first ever documented case of death from asbestos goes back to Nellie Kershaw an asbestos worker who died from lung disease but was unable to secure compensation from her company due to the lack of publicly available medical information pointing to the harm of asbestos exposure. Arguably, her death is what started the avalanche of subsequent asbestos research and future litigation trends that reached all the major asbestos companies in the 20th and early 21st centuries.

Other Types of Asbestos-related Cancer

Despite how serious mesothelioma and lung cancer are in the asbestos conversation, they do not represent the only types of cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Here are some of the others:

Throat Cancer

While this is a less-commonly known type of asbestos cancer, cáncer de garganta has successfully been linked to asbestos exposure. One specific type of throat cancer, known as laryngeal cancer is a special risk of asbestos exposure, followed by pharyngeal cancer. Those who swallow asbestos unknowingly are at the highest risk of throat cancer, since fibers attach to the larynx or pharynx and cause malignant growths over time. 

Stomach and Colon Cancer

If asbestos fibers make their way into the mouth but do not lie dormant in the throat, they travel through the body where they can either become lodged in the stomach or colon. While this is less common, research has also linked asbestos exposure to both el cáncer de estómago y de colon. 

Cancers Linked but Not Confirmed

Other types of cancer have not been ruled out from asbestos exposure, and from what we know so far about the carcinogenic nature of asbestos fibers to the human body, it is easy to see how asbestos is not limited to the cancers already discussed. The problem instead lies in the available medical research dedicated to other forms of cancer. This list will likely grow over time, due to the ongoing cases of cancer throughout the world, but for now, they remain disputed. 

On the top of the list is ovarian cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 22,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer annually, with an average survival rate of five years. It is worth noting that the International Agency for Research on Cancer cites asbestos exposure as a definitive contributory cause of ovarian cancer. 

Central to the issue of ovarian cancer is the current litigation and controversy surrounding companies like Johnson and Johnson which used talc baby powder. Talc, another natural mineral like asbestos, can easily become contaminated with asbestos during the mining and manufacturing process, which is why many court cases have surfaced in recent years surrounding those who used talc baby powder as children who went on to contract ovarian cancer.

Connecting the Dots

Based on the trajectory of asbestos history, it is easy to expect this list to grow over time, but it is worth noting that any of these types of asbestos cancer, regardless of someone’s work history, can result in financial compensation. To find out if you qualify to receive compensation to help pay for cancer treatment due to asbestos exposure, reach out to our professionals today, entirely risk-gratuita.