Smoking may heighten chances of asbestos-related cancers

April 25, 2013

A recent study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine has tentatively proven a link between asbestos exposure, smoking, the lung condition asbestosis and lung cancer. The study was released by the American Thoracic Society, a group dedicated to educating the public about and working toward cures for respiratory diseases and led by Dr. Steven Markowitz, a professor of occupational and environmental medicine at the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at New York City's Queens College. Results show that workers who were exposed to asbestos, smoked regularly and had developed asbestosis were 37 times more likely to develop lung cancer than nonsmokers who had never been exposed.

The study report showed that asbestos exposure alone was five times more likely to cause lung cancer, and when smoking was added into the mix, subjects saw their risk of lung cancer increase 28-fold. Though the sample size in the study was admittedly small - only examining the records of 2,000 workers who had long-term exposure to asbestos in the course of their job and 54,000 workers with no long-term exposure - there does seem to be a link between smoking, asbestos, asbestosis and lung cancer.

Interestingly, those who stopped smoking even after having been exposed to asbestos were still able to lessen their chances of developing lung cancer. Data reveals that in the decade after quitting, smokers exposed to asbestos cut their risk of dying from lung cancer almost in half. After 30 years of not smoking, workers exposed to asbestos had the same risk of asbestos-related cancers as people who had never smoked.

The challenges of asbestos-related diseases

Diseases caused by exposure to asbestos like asbestosis and mesothelioma are particularly challenging to victims and health care workers alike. Most of them are difficult to treat (asbestosis, for example, has no known cure and will slowly become more severe over time), and have a very long dormancy period before an illness is detected, making it difficult to define a time and place of exposure.

Asbestos-related diseases are also notoriously hard to detect, mainly because the symptoms are similar to other common conditions, including colds, respiratory infections, angina, anxiety disorders and asthma. Symptoms include:
- Shortness of breath
- Chronic cough
- Tightness in the chest
- Loss of appetite
- Periodic chest pain

Some of those who develop asbestosis in particular may not show signs of the disease until it has progressed and permanently diminished lung function.

Learning more

Have you or a loved one been exposed to asbestos? Have asbestos-related diseases developed? Do you need more information about governing laws and precedential cases dealing with asbestos exposure? Speaking with an experienced asbestos illness attorney in your area can give you more information about your legal rights, answer your questions and explain your legal options.

Article provided by Goldenberg Heller Antognoli & Rowland, P.C.
Visit us at www.ghalaw.com