Lung cancer is the type of cancer that has the highest death rate of all cancers. Though it can be prevented or you can aid your body's struggle with it by opting for a generally healthy lifestyle, there are still several risk factors involved which can lead to lung cancer in otherwise healthy individuals. Such risk factors include exposure to radon and asbestos and, in this case, even people who have never smoked in their lives can be susceptible to developing lung cancer. More and more studies are confirming the link between asbestos and lung cancer. Workers exposed to asbestos show increasing rates of incidence of lung cancer. Smoking also brings more harm to the matter since an increase in the risk of developing lung cancer is present among asbestos exposed workers who smoke.

Asbestos is what people call a group of minerals that occur naturally in the environment as fibers that can be separated into thin, string threads. Thse fibers are resistant to heat, fire and chemicals. They also don't conduct electricity and this is one of the reasons why it is used in many industries.


The main affection connected with asbestos is mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer that occurs in the lining of the lung but also in the heart or the abdomen. However, asbestos can also lead to other thoracic carcinomas such as adenocarcinoma. In total, between 3,400 and 8,500 of lung cancers diagnosed every year can be accounted for by asbestos. In most cases, cancer is preceeded by asbestosis. However, this scarring of the lung tissue is not present in all cases and it therefore doesn't help to much in diagnosing the cancer and determining a pathology for it.

Unfortunately, asbestos lung cancer is likely to be asymptomatic in its earlier stages. However, in about 15% of the cases some symptoms that may be present include: persistent cough, hoarseness, weight loss and a bloody sputum. Confirmation of the disease can be made after a physical examination and a specialized test. Tests you can take to diagnose and stage the cancer include more types of biopsies like bronchoscopy, needle aspiration, thoracentesis, thoracotomy and mediastinoscopy.

Treatments that are available are the same as for any type of lung cancer and depend more on the stage of the cancer than on the type or location. Treatment can include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy as well as other complementary treatments.


You must be aware of the risks involved with exposure to asbestos and you should be aware if you are working in an environment where you should worry about this. You shouldn't underestimate these risks as you might think everything is all right and that you're fine but even after you retire, you can still one day be diagnosed with cancer, as malignant mesothelioma can usually take even 30 years to develop after exposure to asbestos.