Asbestos-related Diseases

Last Updated: May 30, 2025

Asbestos-related Bilateral Fibrothorax by Miles SE, Sandrini A, Johnson AR, & Yates DH.png

Asbestosis, alongside bilateral fibrothorax, affecting the lungs.

Credit: Miles SE, Sandrini A, Johnson AR, Yates DH (CC-BY-2.0 license).

Overview

Asbestos was once widely used in many products in the U.S., until its health risks became clearer. It is a carcinogen, meaning it has the capacity to cause cancer, alongside other serious health effects.

There are several diseases caused by asbestos exposure, many of which are unsurprisingly cancerous. Among the most well-documented asbestos-related diseases are asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Other asbestos-related diseases and conditions includes non-malignant pleural diseases and other types of cancers.

Asbestos is mostly regulated in the U.S., alongside in some other countries that banned it or at least have some restrictions applied on its usage. Despite its health effects, many countries still continue to produce and import asbestos products.

What Is Asbestos?

To understand asbestos-related diseases, it is necessary to know about their cause: asbestos fibers. Asbestos refers to a group of naturally occurring minerals, all of which are silicates characterized by their fibers.

Asbestos is well known to be heat-resistant and durable, where it was popular in the U.S. from the 1930s to 1980s. Many buildings, including in residential homes, schools, and workplaces were constructed with asbestos-containing materials around those time periods. It was also once popular for many other uses including automotive parts, insulation, and countless consumer products.

There are six known types of asbestos:

Chrysotile (white asbestos)
Amosite (brown asbestos)
Crocidolite (blue asbestos)

Tremolite
Actinolite
Anthophyllite

Chrysotile (white asbestos), is the most commercially used type. This asbestos type is unique because it is the only serpentine within the group. It is characterized by its curly fibers.

Amosite (brown asbestos) and crocidolite (blue asbestos) are other popular asbestos types. They are amphiboles, which are characterized by their long, needle-like fibers.

Tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite are also amphiboles, but are not commercially sought out. However, they occasionally contaminate other products, including the more popular types of asbestos if their deposits are adjacent with each other.

What Makes Asbestos Dangerous?

Anthophyllite Asbestos Fibers SEM Micrography from the USGS.jpg

Anthophyllite (an amphibole) fibers taken from a scanning electron microscope.

Credit: United States Geological Survey (USGS) (PD license).

Asbestos fibers are fine and tiny, sometimes virtually invisible to the naked eye. Asbestos fibers are carcinogenic, and inhaling or ingesting them can lead to the development of serious diseases in health. They can alter and mutate cellular DNA, leading to the development of cancer. Damaged cells that cannot undergo cellular death (apoptosis) eventually multiply uncontrollably and will eventually develop into a tumor.

Fibers penetrating tissue can inflict further damage to an area, creating a greater cancer risk. However, there is virtually no indication that you may have possibly been exposed, as they do not have a smell or taste.

In terms of health risks, amphibole asbestos (especially crocidolite) is more dangerous than serpentine asbestos. The needle-like structure of amphibole fibers makes it easier for them to attach to and penetrate tissues, where they may continue inflicting further damage to a particular area. Despite their differences, all known six asbestos types are able to cause cancer, alongside other serious diseases, in humans.

Asbestosis

A notable disease arising from asbestos exposure is asbestosis. Asbestosis is a chronic respiratory disease of the lungs. It is a type of pneumoconiosis, which are interstitial lung diseases caused by inhaling dust (i.e. silica in silicosis and coal in black lung disease). In this case, asbestosis is exclusively caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. The severity of the disease can vary, with some cases being more serious than others.

In asbestosis, asbestos exposure results in asbestos fibers being inhaled or ingested into the body. Most of the fibers are rejected by the body’s mucus and other physical barriers, while others evade rejection and enter the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs. Fibers that gain entry into the lungs can lead to the development of asbestosis.

The immune system’s macrophages struggle to remove the asbestos fibers, where many die and others release inflammatory cytokines that stimulate fibroblasts (a type of cell involved in tissue support). This leads to permanent scarring or fibrosis inside the lungs, restricting breathing capacity where it may become life-threatening.

While asbestosis does not guarantee the development for mesothelioma or lung cancer, it indicates an increased risk for development. Inhaling or ingesting more asbestos fibers aggravates that risk.

Asbestosis Signs and Symptoms

Asbestosis has many symptoms that can be mistaken for other diseases. Mentioning a history of asbestos exposure will be important to your doctor.

A list of asbestosis symptoms includes:

Appetite loss
Chest pain
Clubbing in nails
Chronic cough

Dry sounds in the lungs when inhaling
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Weight loss

Asbestosis Treatment

While asbestosis is an incurable disease, there are many treatment options available. Most commonly, medications that thin lung secretions and relieve chest pain can be taken. Additionally, physical therapy can help increase fitness while also improving lung function to make breathing easier.

Because asbestosis worsens the body’s sensitivity to many diseases, receiving vaccinations may be necessary. Pneumococcal and influenza vaccines in particular are the most common vaccinations for asbestosis.

Changes in life habits can help, especially quitting smoking. Smoking tobacco aggravates asbestosis symptoms, and puts the body at an increased risk for developing lung cancer. Quitting will help alleviate the progression of asbestosis, alongside reducing your risk for lung cancer.

Depending on the severity, asbestosis patients may be given supplemental oxygen from a tank. This treatment option is crucial for severe cases, where the lung may have stopped working.

In extreme asbestosis cases, lung transplantations may be made if it is severe. In successful cases, patients have reported improvement in quality of life. However, very few patients qualify for this option, as there are chances of rejection and other serious side effects.

Asbestosis Prognosis

Although asbestosis is a serious disease, it has a significantly better outcome than other asbestos-related diseases. In many cases, but not all, asbestosis patients can continue living for decades if they are given adequate treatment.

Lung Cancer

While tobacco smoking is the primary cause for lung cancer, asbestos exposure is another cause. Asbestos exposure is responsible for a minority of lung cancer cases, and it is also the leading cause for occupational lung cancer. In appearance, lung cancer appears as large tumoral masses.

Lung cancer is separated into two types: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Between the two types, non-small cell lung cancer is the most common.

There are some correlations between lung cancer and asbestosis, as the risk for both diseases increases as more asbestos fibers are inhaled in the body and susceptibility worsens by smoking. Additionally, asbestosis indicates a higher risk or susceptibility, but not a direct cause, for developing lung cancer.

Statistically, lung cancer claims the most lives from asbestos-related diseases.

Lung Cancer Signs and Symptoms

In its early stages, lung cancer symptoms can resemble more common respiratory diseases such as pneumonia. As a result, it can be easily misdiagnosed, which delays appropriate treatment and allows further progression of the disease.

There is no distinction in symptoms between asbestos-related lung cancer and smoking-related lung cancer; regardless of what cause, they all share the same symptoms.

A list of lung cancer symptoms include:

Appetite loss
Chest pain
Coughing up blood
Chronic respiratory infections
Fatigue

Hoarseness
Irregular heartbeat
Shortness of breath
Weight loss
Wheezing

However, like many other asbestos-related diseases, lung cancer generally has a latency period. It can take decades for symptoms to appear. When symptoms surface, it is possible that lung cancer may have already progressed into the later stages when it is more difficult to treat it.

Lung Cancer Treatment

Lung cancer has a number of treatment options available. Options can vary depending on several factors such as the cancer’s stage or its type.

If diagnosed early, where it has not yet metastasized (spread) to other parts of the body, surgery may be possible to remove the tumor. Lobectomy is the most common surgery method, which involves the removal of a lobe containing the highest concentration of lung cancer.

Chemotherapy is the most popular method against lung cancer in its later stages. In chemotherapy, prescription drugs are taken to shrink tumors. It can be used alongside immunotherapy, which is a treatment option that enhances the immune system to fight off cancer cells more efficiently.

Radiation therapy has been used to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. A notable form of this treatment option is brachytherapy, which involves inserting an encapsulated radiation source into the body that can shrink tumor growth.

Lung Cancer Prognosis

Lung cancer generally has a poor prognosis, although certain factors can influence the outcome such as stage, type, and the patient’s overall health and response to treatment.

The patient’s chance for survival is increased if the lung cancer is diagnosed sooner rather than later. Lung cancer patients that have it diagnosed in its early stages will have a better prognosis than those who have it diagnosed in later stages. For example, in a NSCLC case, a stage 0 or 1 lung cancer patient would have a much better chance of curing it than one with stage 3 or 4 lung cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer, making up to 80% to 85% of all lung cancer cases. It has a better survival rate than the rarer small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which accounts for roughly 10% to 15% of lung cancer cases.

To ensure a better prognosis, see your doctor for screening if you have or suspect that you have a history of asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer primarily caused by asbestos exposure. It develops on the mesothelium that covers the majority of the body’s internal organs, such as the lungs. In appearance, mesothelioma appears as nodules.

Mesothelioma most often affects the pleura covering the lungs called pleural mesothelioma, which is primarily caused by asbestos exposure. Peritoneal mesothelioma is the second-most common form of mesothelioma that develops on the peritoneum. Other less common types include pericardial mesothelioma (of the pericardium) and testicular mesothelioma (of the tunica vaginalis).

Because pleural mesothelioma is the most common form, it is frequently confused with lung cancer because of the adjacency between the pleura and the lungs. To differentiate the two cancers, mesothelioma develops outside of the lungs on the mesothelial layers rather than inside. Unlike lung cancer, mesothelioma is not caused by smoking.

Mesothelioma Signs and Symptoms

Mesothelioma has symptoms that can resemble less serious diseases, which can make identification very difficult. The type of mesothelioma can affect on what symptoms appear.

A list of common mesothelioma symptoms include:

Appetite loss
Chest pain
Difficulty breathing
Difficulty swallowing
Fatigue

Fluid buildup
Hoarseness
Nausea
Shortness of breath
Weight loss

Like other asbestos-related diseases, mesothelioma commonly has a latency period. Symptoms can take decades to surface after you were initially exposed to asbestos.

Mesothelioma Treatments

While mesothelioma is considered incurable, there are treatment options that can halt or at least delay its progression.

Mesothelioma shares similar treatment options with lung cancer, where traditional treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery are common choices. However, mesothelioma is mostly resistant to those common treatment options.

So far, scientists in clinical trials are trying to find effective options against mesothelioma. For example, virotherapy is an experimental treatment that involves injecting modified viruses that target cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone into the body. Still, many challenges and ethical implications are ongoing for virotherapy.

Mesothelioma Prognosis

Mesothelioma has a poor prognosis, however, there are many factors to consider such as the patient’s age, health, and type. For instance, pleural mesothelioma has a much lower survival rate than peritoneal mesothelioma, where patients have a better chance of living beyond five years in peritoneal mesothelioma cases. However, peritoneal mesothelioma is rarer than pleural mesothelioma.

Unfortunately, most mesothelioma patients live less than two years with given treatment. Despite this, and while mesothelioma is generally incurable, there have been exceptional cases of mesothelioma survivors living beyond five years.

If diagnosed early, the prognosis of mesothelioma will improve, making it important for you to receive screening as soon as possible with suspicions of past asbestos exposure.

Other Asbestos-related Diseases and Conditions

Asbestos exposure has been known to cause a number of other diseases and associated conditions.

The pleura is commonly affected by a number of non-malignant conditions such as pleural plaques, pleural thickening, and pleural effusion.

Other locations of the body may be also at risk for developing conditions and diseases, ranging from something mild as dermatitis to something serious as cancer.

Pleural Plaques and Thickening

Pleural plaques can be formed by the body’s response to asbestos fibers being lodged into pleural tissue, creating thickened tissues in localized areas or "bumps." The development of these plaques occurs after decades from initial asbestos exposure. They are signs heavily associated with pleural mesothelioma.

Pleural thickening is another pleural condition that can arise from asbestos exposure. While it is similar to pleural plaques, the thickening of is much more widespread. The two types of pleural thickening are focal and diffuse pleural thickening.

Pleural Effusions

Pleura effusions are a condition that is associated with pleural mesothelioma. It is characterized by excess fluid buildup in the pleura, which can make breathing difficult. Pleural fluid testing is conducted to determine the cause and the treatment.

Other Cancers

Asbestos exposure has also been suspected to cause other cancers such as colon, gastrointestinal, kidney, laryngeal, ovarian, throat, and stomach cancer. For example, fibers that get trapped in mucus that enter the stomach can eventually cause stomach cancer.

Skin Conditions

Touching asbestos on bare skin does not pose serious health risks, but it may lead to mild dermatitis or skin corns if the fibers are lodged on skin.

Prevention of Diseases

To prevent the development of asbestos-related diseases, avoiding asbestos exposure is the most reliable method. This means avoiding any materials and products that are suspected to contain asbestos. Do not disturb asbestos or suspected asbestos products, as you risk releasing fibers airborne.

If you must be around asbestos, you need to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect yourself from potentially inhaling or getting fibers on your clothing, hair, or skin.

While it does not prevent you from developing the disease, receiving routine screening can help potentially catch an asbestos-related disease in its early stages before it progresses. An early diagnosis generally leads to better outcomes in treatment.

Quitting Smoking

Tobacco smoking is incredibly detrimental if you have asbestos exposure. Smoking and asbestos exposure have a synergistic relationship. It causes a greater retention of fibers in lung tissue, making them even more difficult for the body to remove.

The risk for lung cancer does not add, but instead multiplies to beyond 50 in smokers who have asbestos exposure than those who only been exposed to asbestos.

If you smoke, consider quitting. It will significantly reduce your risk for developing lung cancer.

Living with an Asbestos-related Disease

You might know someone who has or you might be diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, and might be worried about it. Treatment options and methods vary depending on the disease. Among the best options available is finding ways that will help you cope with it better.

Receiving appropriate treatment is a straightforward option. Those seeking adequate treatment should find ways that would make the process more comfortable, considering potential side effects from treatment. Additionally, exploring clinical trials is another possibility.

Consider making positive changes in lifestyle. This includes eating more healthier foods in your diet and exercising more frequently. If you happen to smoke, consider quitting as it increases your risk of lung cancer and worsens asbestosis symptoms.

Compensation for Asbestos-related Injuries

If you used to work in a job that contained asbestos and developed a disease after decades, it is possible to receive compensation for asbestos-related injuries. This means that if you have developed mesothelioma from a company's product that was laced with asbestos, you can file a lawsuit against them.

Those who have previously worked at an asbestos company can seek asbestos trust funds from their company. However, waiting for too long may render someone ineligible for compensation. Veterans with an asbestos-related disease are also eligible for compensation from VA benefits.

Asbestos-related Diseases​​