Asbestos is a dangerous, naturally occurring mineral that was once used in just about everything from cement sheets and wall paint to automotive parts and fire-resistant clothes. The mineral is well known for its heat resistance, strength, and resilience. That is one of the key reasons why it took until the mid-1980s for the EPA to greatly limit the use of asbestos to circumstances in which it is deemed nonfriable, such as in cement. 

Today, it’s public knowledge that asbestos exposure is dangerous — the mineral has carcinogenic properties and exposure can lead to a variety of health issues. Nevertheless, even with decades of warnings and research into understanding the dangers of asbestos, people are still far from understanding the risks of asbestos exposure.





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If you may have been exposed to asbestos, even when you were a child, speak to your healthcare provider about tests and screening to help detect the presence of asbestos fibers and enfermedades relacionadas con el asbesto.





Diseases Associated with Asbestos Exposure

Some of the most common enfermedades relacionadas con el asbesto follow: 

Mesotelioma is a form of cancer that affects or develops from the mesothelium, which is the thin outer layer covering a person’s internal organs, and mainly impacts the lungs and abdomen. It has been linked directly to asbestos inhalation and ingestion.

  • La Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a lung disease that develops as a result of severe or prolonged inhalation of asbestos and does not have a known cure. The condition is progressive, which means that it gets worse and harder to manage over time. Since asbestos-related diseases have a high latency, by the time the enfermedad is detected, the condition is usually chronic. 

  • Placas pleurales

Pleural plaques cause lung tissue to thicken. While the condition is not life-threatening, it is a significant risk factor for the development or acceleration of other, more dangerous respiratory problems.

  • Other forms of cancer

La exposición al asbesto is a known risk factor for the development of cáncer in the respiratory and digestive tracts as well as in other areas of the body.

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The most significant danger posed by asbestos-related diseases is that symptoms have a very long latency period. That means that it typically  takes a significant amount of time, roughly up to 30-50 years, before the symptoms of the disease manifest. By the time an individual realizes they are seriously sick, it may be too late to seek medical treatment. 

Additionally, due to the latency, it becomes harder to prove that an illness is a direct result of asbestos exposure, making it difficult to seek compensation to cover medical costs.

Ultimately, the expense of regular screening is a more cost-effective option than the expenses associated with treatment further down the road. Therefore, it is necessary for those working with asbestos, as well as their families and friends who may have been exposed second-hand. to be on the lookout for the development of any concerning symptoms.

Asbestos causes cancer. Health researchers are learning how.

Los estudios demuestran que las fibras de amianto se incrustan en el tejido corporal:

  • Causando cicatrices
  • Alterar los mecanismos de defensa del cuerpo.
  • Aumento de la formación de radicales libres (cargas eléctricas que se sabe que aumentan la probabilidad de cáncer)
  • Dañar el ADN que controla el crecimiento celular, lo que podría conducir a la formación de carcinomas (tumores cancerosos)

Symptoms of Asbestos Exposure

Ingesting the microscopic fibers that make up asbestos caused these fibers to become lodged in the body, eventually leading to numerous symptoms. Some common symptoms to be on the lookout for are those associated with the respiratory system or the digestive tract.

Respiratory symptoms may include:

  • Chest pain and/or tightness
  • Dificultad para respirar
  • A dry, irritating cough
  • Pleural plaques on C.T. scans or x-rays
  • Líquido dentro de los pulmones

Digestive symptoms may include:

  • Dolor abdominal o pélvico
  • Severe loss of appetite
  • Pérdida de peso inexplicable
  • Hinchazón abdominal
  • Rounded or clubbed finger




“La evidencia general sugiere que no existe un nivel seguro de exposición al asbesto”.

Fuente: Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH)1

Image Asbestos The Risk article body

Due to the latency of symptoms, tratamientos can be both expensive and challenging. By the time a condition is detected and addressed medically, the patient is often at an advanced age, which makes the body more susceptible to weakness and further complications, and the conditions have almost always progressed into later stages. 

Treatment options for asbestos exposure depends on the specific condition, its progression, and the overall health of the patient. 

Some of treatment methods include:

  • Cirugía. Surgery is often the go-to method in the removal of tumors or affected tissue when the condition is in its earliest stages. However, even then, successful surgery depends on the location of the ailment and whether there is any likelihood of the condition spreading and impacting other parts of the body.
  • Quimioterapia. Chemotherapy involves injecting the patient with a targeted cocktail of medications, such as cisplatin and pemetrexed, to target and kill cancer cells. This is an option for patients whose age isn’t too advanced as chemotherapy typically suppresses the immune system and could lead to secondary infection.
  • Radioterapia. This form of therapy targets cancer cells using radiation  to degrade or destroy the tumors. Radiation therapy can be used as the primary treatment if a type of cancer is localized and not too advanced, as a precursor for surgery to shrink cancer tumors, after surgery to remove any remaining cancer cells, in conjunction with chemotherapy for greater effect, or to simply reduce symptoms to make the patient more comfortable if their cancer is too advanced for further treatment.
  • Campos de tratamiento de tumores. T.T.F.s involve the usage of alternating electrical fields to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and these are often used in conjunction with other treatment methods.
  • Viroterapia. Virotherapy involves introducing viruses and pathogens developed to target cancer cells and supplement the immune system. The challenge with this method (aside from its high cost) is that it requires extensive screening to guarantee that the virus doesn’t affect anything other than the cancer it’s targeting. The treatment is also still primarily experimental.
  • Terapia de genes. Gene therapy is also an experimental treatment that involves introducing aggressive anti-cancer cells into the patient’s body.
  • Medicamentos experimentales. With the increased media focus on asbestos exposure, pharmaceutical companies are taking notice and developing medications for asbestos-related conditions. Opdivo and Yervoy are two such experimental drugs that are still pending FDA approval.




“Por lo general, quienes desarrollan enfermedades relacionadas con el asbesto no muestran signos de enfermedad durante mucho tiempo después de la exposición”.

Fuente: Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH)2

Smoking, Asbestos Exposure, and Synergy

Data shows that smokers are 10% more susceptible to developing lung cancer while asbestos exposure makes an individual 5% more susceptible to developing lung cancer. However, both smoking and asbestos exposure have a synergistic effect which increases the chances of developing cancer by up to 50%. Anyone who is in direct contact with asbestos should consider quitting smoking or taking extreme precautions to limit asbestos exposure.

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Second-hand and Tertiary Exposure

Second-hand and third-hand or tertiary exposure is yet another risk that one must consider.  In one study, data showed that 1 in 5 cases were caused by second-hand exposure. This occurs when an individual who is exposed firsthand inadvertently brings asbestos fibers into their environment – usually into their home. For instance, asbestos workers could bring asbestos dust in their clothes, which would increase the likelihood of their families also being exposed.

The Bottom Line: Asbestos exposure is dangerous

If you believe you were exposed to asbestos, speak to a healthcare professional about medical tests for asbestos scarring and enfermedades relacionadas con el asbesto.

The consequences of asbestos exposure are extensive, especially when one considers the amplified risks associated with smoking and exposure. Symptom latency also makes it very difficult to detect asbestos-related diseases before they are well-progressed and can make it hard to get compensation for asbestos injuries. 

That is why it’s important for those who work with asbestos to periodically screen for asbestos-related conditions. It’s also important to work with a competent and experienced asbestos lawyer if seeking legal action. The team at AsbestosClaims.law can help ensure those who’ve been injured receive the funds they deserve to cover medical expenses and live as comfortably as possible during such a difficult time.

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Para Justinian C. Lane, obtener una indemnización por las víctimas del asbesto es algo personal.

Los abuelos de Justiniano y su padre trabajaron con asbesto en su juventud y murieron de cánceres relacionados con el asbesto en sus últimos años.  

En el momento de cada una de sus muertes, nadie en la familia de Justiniano sabía que eran elegibles para presentar una demanda por asbesto y buscar una compensación de los fideicomisos de asbesto.

Debido a que nadie en la familia de Justiniano conocía sus opciones, nunca recibieron compensación alguna por la muerte de sus seres queridos. 

Si cree que su lesión o la de su familiar estuvo relacionada con la exposición al asbesto, podría tener derecho a una compensación significativa.

Este es dinero que podría usar para cubrir los costos de los servicios de remoción de asbesto, pagar el tratamiento médico y proteger de manera preventiva su bienestar físico. 

También hay fideicomisos de asbesto que ofrecen compensación mucho más rápida y fácilmente (sin presentar una demanda).

Si desea ayuda para presentar un reclamo, ponerse en contacto por correo electrónico a [email protected]  o llámenos o envíenos un mensaje de texto al (833) 4-ASBESTOS (427-2378) o (206) 455-9190. Escucharemos su historia y le explicaremos sus opciones. Y nunca cobramos por nada a menos que reciba dinero en su bolsillo.

Además de demandas legales, discapacidad de veteranos, seguridad social y protección del empleo como compensación de trabajadores, FELA y La ley de Jones para los trabajadores marítimos, hay fideicomisos de asbesto que se han establecido para indemnizar a los perjudicados por el asbesto sin tener que presentar una demanda.

No hay riesgo ni costo para hablar con uno de nuestro personal sobre su litigio de asbesto. No hay cargos a menos que reciba dinero.

Si tiene preguntas o inquietudes adicionales relacionadas con el asbesto, visite nuestro sitio web y página de YouTube para ver videos, infografías y respuestas a sus preguntas sobre el asbesto, incluida la salud y la seguridad, prueba de asbesto, la eliminación del asbesto de su hogar y edificio, y información legal sobre la compensación por lesiones de asbesto.

Presentamos la base de datos de información sobre asbesto más grande del planeta.

W.A.R.D., que significa Worldwide Asbestos Research Database, ayuda a los clientes a reducir cuándo y dónde pueden haber estado expuestos, así como qué productos aún pueden contener asbesto.WARD también ayudará a indicar los tipos de compensación ya cuánto puede tener derecho una persona.

Scholarly Reference: Nico van Zandwijk, Glen Reid & Arthur L. Frank (2020) Asbestos-related cancers: the ‘Hidden Killer’ remains a global threat, Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy, 20:4, 271-278, DOI:10.1080/14737140.2020.1745067
1 Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH) Hoja informativa sobre asbesto.
2 Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH), Hoja informativa sobre asbesto.