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Asbestos exposure can lead to mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other cancers. It is commonly found in insulation, ceiling and floor tiles, paints, plastics, and adhesives. The US banned new uses of asbestos in 1989, but it remains a potential hazard. Asbestos exposure is the leading cause of mesothelioma and can also lead to lung cancer, pleural plaques, and gastrointestinal and laryngeal cancers.
The risks of asbestos include mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and other cancers. Exposure typically occurs in the workplace or in the home, as asbestos has been used as insulation for boilers, hot water pipes and steam pipes. Some ceiling tiles, floor tiles, paints, plastics and adhesives also contain asbestos.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services, the EPA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer have classified asbestos as a substance that causes cancer in humans. This means that all materials containing this mineral are potential asbestos hazards. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned all new uses of asbestos in 1989.
Mesothelioma is the most common of the different types of asbestos risks. It is a fatal cancer that develops in the lining of the lung, abdomen or heart. Some people exposed to asbestos develop mesothelioma in more than one place. Exposure to asbestos is the leading cause of mesothelioma in 70-80% of all cases, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Another health condition that is one of the more common risks of asbestos is lung cancer. Lung cancer is usually fatal. The five-year overall survival rate for lung cancer from 1995 to 2002 was only 15%.
Individuals who develop pleural plaques from exposure to asbestos have a higher risk of developing lung cancer than those who don’t. Pleural plaques are bands of scar tissue that form on the walls of the lungs as a result of inhaling asbestos fibers. Inhaled asbestos fibers are trapped in the lungs and build up, scarring the lungs and causing breathing problems.
Asbestosis is an inflammatory lung condition caused by the inhalation of asbestos. It leads to coughing, shortness of breath and permanent lung damage. Asbestosis can develop for years without symptoms, although X-rays can detect lung damage from asbestos exposure in the early stages.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, studies related to the risks of asbestos have shown sufficient evidence of an increased risk of gastrointestinal and laryngeal cancers in individuals exposed to asbestos. People exposed to asbestos may have an increased risk of developing cancer of the throat, esophagus, colon and gallbladder. Other cancers that have been linked to asbestos risks in some studies include ovarian and kidney cancer. While these studies do not provide enough evidence to directly link asbestos exposure to the diagnosis of these cancers, individuals exposed to asbestos may be at increased risk of developing them.
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