Basic Asbestos Facts
- When asbestos fibers are inhaled, most fibers are expelled, but some can become lodged in the lungs and remain there throughout life. Fibers can accumulate and cause scarring and inflammation. Enough scarring and inflammation can affect breathing, leading to disease.
- People are more likely to experience asbestos-related disorders when they are exposed to high concentrations of asbestos, are exposed for longer periods of time, and/or are exposed more often.
- Exposure to asbestos can increase the likelihood of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and non-malignant lung conditions such as asbestosis and changes in the lung lining.
- Changes in the lining of the lungs (pleura) such as thickening, plaques, calcification, and fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion) may be early signs of asbestos exposure. Pleural effusion can be an early warning sign for mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the lungs).
- Most cases of asbestosis or lung cancer in workers occurred 15 years or more after the person was first exposed to asbestos.
- Most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed 30 years or more after the first exposure to asbestos.
- Mesothelioma has been diagnosed in asbestos workers, family members, and residents who live close to asbestos mines.
- Health effects from asbestos exposure may continue to progress even after exposure is stopped.
- Smoking or cigarette smoke, together with exposure to asbestos, greatly increases the likelihood of lung cancer.
