Asbestos Cancer
Exposure to asbestos can lead to various cancers, including mesothelioma cancer. The most common type is pleural mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is sometimes called asbestos cancer.
Asbestos exposure is also known to cause other cancers and illnesses including asbestos poisoning or asbestosis. Prolonged exposure to asbestos, typically through your occupation, creates the highest risk for developing asbestos cancer. Many occupational asbestos exposure victims are former military personnel. Asbestos on U.S. Navy ships and asbestos at army facilities have been responsible for many cases of mesothelioma.
Asbestos Cancer Types
Pleural mesothelioma is also sometimes called asbestos cancer because it has a long, documented history showing that it is caused by asbestos. The term, “asbestos cancer” is a bit misleading, however, because exposure to asbestos may cause asbestos lung cancer and ovarian and laryngeal cancer.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IRAC) recently confirmed laryngeal cancer and ovarian cancer to be potential outcomes of prolonged asbestos exposure. The IRAC is one of the world’s leading cancer research agencies, so its confirmation about the definitive link between asbestos and cancer is strong evidence that asbestos is a carcinogen with far-reaching implications.
Asbestos Cancer Research
Additional research by some of the world’s leading scientists has already begun to link asbestos with other cancers. The results are still tentative, as researchers aren't yet sure if all of these cancer types are truly related to asbestos or caused by a combination of other factors. As reported by IRAC, “It is not clear exactly how asbestos might affect risk for these cancers, but swallowed asbestos fibers might somehow contribute to the risk.”
The following cancers have been potentially linked with asbestos by the American Cancer Society (ACS):
- Gastrointestinal or stomach cancer
- Colon cancer
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has conducted research showing that asbestos exposure may increase the risk of developing:
- Throat cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Gallbladder cancer
If you have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, get mesothelioma help today by contacting Sokolove Law.