Asbestos And Lung Cancer. The asbestos fibers irritate and scar lung tissue causing the lungs to become stiff. Asbestos exposure may lead to lung cancer a type of cancer that begins in the lungs.
Most cases of lung cancer in asbestos workers occur at least 15 years after first exposure to asbestos. Eventually your lung tissue becomes so stiff that it can t contract and expand normally. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by inhaling asbestos fibers.
Countless studies have shown that breathing asbestos fibers and dust creates scarring in the lungs that will eventually turn to lung cancer if left untreated yet an estimated 30 million homes in the united states contain some amount of asbestos.
Asbestos is the most common occupational risk factor for lung cancer and workplace exposure significantly increases the chance of developing the disease. Only 19 of people with lung cancer survive for 5 years after diagnosis according to asco. This makes it difficult to breathe. Malignant pleural mesothelioma affects the lungs and accounts for 75 of all mesothelioma diagnoses.
